Thread: How to 'print a table' in the middle of a plpgsql function

I am deep into debugging some pretty extensive plpgsql and it would be nice sometimes if I could somehow output the
contentof a table to the psql console at a particular point in a function. 

For example, I am executing a select that is not returning the expected row.  So I am wondering, what exactly was in
thetable at the time the query was performed. 

Of course, I could just write a loop prior to my query with a bunch of raise notice statements, but I'll get a stack
tracefor each one.  So that won't be pretty. 

Suggestions?  Thx.

- Leon

On 1/29/2011 12:59 AM, Leon Starr wrote:
> I am deep into debugging some pretty extensive plpgsql and it would be nice sometimes if I could somehow output the
contentof a table to the psql console at a particular point in a function. 
>
> For example, I am executing a select that is not returning the expected row.  So I am wondering, what exactly was in
thetable at the time the query was performed. 
>
> Of course, I could just write a loop prior to my query with a bunch of raise notice statements, but I'll get a stack
tracefor each one.  So that won't be pretty. 
>
> Suggestions?  Thx.
Raise notice is PLPGSQL equivalent of DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE.

--
Mladen Gogala
Sr. Oracle DBA
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New York, NY 10036
(212) 329-5251
www.vmsinfo.com

You can use RAISE INFO instead (it doesn't print the stack)

Thanks, I didn't know that about RAISE INFO.  I checked your link for my version 8.4, (which I had already read about a dozen times) but I can't find any place where the INFO format is documented.  I will give it a try!

Using Postgresql 8.4, I find that RAISE INFO does in fact print the stack to the psql console, just like