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Thread: plpgsql merge func question

plpgsql merge func question

From
Matthias Leopold
Date:
hi,

i tried to write a merge function in plpgsql, which is derived from the
example in the docs (Example 38-2 in
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.4/static/plpgsql-control-structures.html).
Code is below. This works fine as long as entries in count_table have
todays date in "datum". when i have older entries the function "locks
up" (doesn't return, server has 100% cpu). i'm a plpgsql novice. can
someone explain why this happens? related question: i didn't find a way
to log queries that happen inside functions. is this possible?

postgres version is 8.4.17

thx
matthias

CREATE or replace FUNCTION merge_func(id INT, foobarvar text) RETURNS
integer AS
$$
DECLARE
         countervar integer;
BEGIN
         LOOP
                 UPDATE count_table ct
                 SET counter = counter+1  WHERE ct.user_id = id and
foobar = foobarvar and datum = current_date
                 returning counter into countervar;
                 IF found THEN
                     RETURN countervar;
                 END IF;
                 BEGIN
                     insert into count_table (user_id, foobar, datum,
counter) values (id, foobarvar, current_date, 1)
                         returning counter into countervar;
                     RETURN countervar;
                 EXCEPTION WHEN unique_violation THEN
                 END;
         END LOOP;
END;
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;

\d count_table
        Table "count_table"
  Column  |         Type          |     Modifiers
---------+-----------------------+--------------------
  user_id | integer               | not null
  foobar  | character varying(30) | not null
  datum   | date                  | not null
  counter | integer               | not null default 0

Re: plpgsql merge func question

From
Andreas Kretschmer
Date:
Matthias Leopold <matthias@aic.at> wrote:

> hi,
>
> i tried to write a merge function in plpgsql, which is derived from the
> example in the docs (Example 38-2 in
> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.4/static/plpgsql-control-structures.html).
> Code is below. This works fine as long as entries in count_table have
> todays date in "datum". when i have older entries the function "locks
> up" (doesn't return, server has 100% cpu). i'm a plpgsql novice. can
> someone explain why this happens? related question: i didn't find a way

Can't reproduce, works for me.


> to log queries that happen inside functions. is this possible?
>
> postgres version is 8.4.17

You should update, i'm using 9.3, it's possible with
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.3/interactive/auto-explain.html and
set auto_explain.log_nested_statements = on;

I don't know if 8.3 contains auto-explain.


Andreas
--
Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely
unintentional side effect.                              (Linus Torvalds)
"If I was god, I would recompile penguin with --enable-fly."   (unknown)
Kaufbach, Saxony, Germany, Europe.              N 51.05082°, E 13.56889°

Re: plpgsql merge func question

From
Merlin Moncure
Date:
On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 6:42 AM, Andreas Kretschmer
<akretschmer@spamfence.net> wrote:
> Matthias Leopold <matthias@aic.at> wrote:
>
>> hi,
>>
>> i tried to write a merge function in plpgsql, which is derived from the
>> example in the docs (Example 38-2 in
>> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.4/static/plpgsql-control-structures.html).
>> Code is below. This works fine as long as entries in count_table have
>> todays date in "datum". when i have older entries the function "locks
>> up" (doesn't return, server has 100% cpu). i'm a plpgsql novice. can
>> someone explain why this happens? related question: i didn't find a way
>
> Can't reproduce, works for me.

Almost certainly a  non-'unique_violation' exception is being thrown
(perhaps from a dependent trigger). In a loop like that there should
always be a handler of last resort.  I bitterly griped about this
example a few years back (search the archives).   TBH, many times I've
wished that caught-but-unhandled exceptions were re-thrown by default.

Unless high concurrency is needed, for merge functionality it makes a
lot more sense to just lock the table before the insert instead of
rigging a loop.

merlin

Re: plpgsql merge func question

From
Merlin Moncure
Date:


On Friday, December 20, 2013, Merlin Moncure wrote:
On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 6:42 AM, Andreas Kretschmer
<akretschmer@spamfence.net> wrote:
> Matthias Leopold <matthias@aic.at> wrote:
>
>> hi,
>>
>> i tried to write a merge function in plpgsql, which is derived from the
>> example in the docs (Example 38-2 in
>> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.4/static/plpgsql-control-structures.html).
>> Code is below. This works fine as long as entries in count_table have
>> todays date in "datum". when i have older entries the function "locks
>> up" (doesn't return, server has 100% cpu). i'm a plpgsql novice. can
>> someone explain why this happens? related question: i didn't find a way
>
> Can't reproduce, works for me.

Almost certainly a  non-'unique_violation' exception is being thrown
(perhaps from a dependent trigger). In a loop like that there should
always be a handler of last resort.  I bitterly griped about this
example a few years back (search the archives).   TBH, many times I've
wished that caught-but-unhandled exceptions were re-thrown by default.

Unless high concurrency is needed, for merge functionality it makes a
lot more sense to just lock the table before the insert instead of
rigging a loop.


Anctually, I had it messed up in my head...uncaught exceptions are not supressed.   What might be happening is an unguarded trigger...as with http://www.spinics.net/lists/pgsql/msg112560.html.   heh


merlin

Re: plpgsql merge func question

From
Matthias Leopold
Date:
Am 2013-12-20 21:03, schrieb Merlin Moncure:
> On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 6:42 AM, Andreas Kretschmer
> <akretschmer@spamfence.net> wrote:
>> Matthias Leopold <matthias@aic.at> wrote:
>>
>>> hi,
>>>
>>> i tried to write a merge function in plpgsql, which is derived from the
>>> example in the docs (Example 38-2 in
>>> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.4/static/plpgsql-control-structures.html).
>>> Code is below. This works fine as long as entries in count_table have
>>> todays date in "datum". when i have older entries the function "locks
>>> up" (doesn't return, server has 100% cpu). i'm a plpgsql novice. can
>>> someone explain why this happens? related question: i didn't find a way
>>
>> Can't reproduce, works for me.
>
> Almost certainly a  non-'unique_violation' exception is being thrown
> (perhaps from a dependent trigger). In a loop like that there should
> always be a handler of last resort.  I bitterly griped about this
> example a few years back (search the archives).   TBH, many times I've
> wished that caught-but-unhandled exceptions were re-thrown by default.
>
> Unless high concurrency is needed, for merge functionality it makes a
> lot more sense to just lock the table before the insert instead of
> rigging a loop.
>
> merlin
>
>
thank you very much, it was indeed a non-'unique_violation'...

matthias