Thread: aggregate functions and varchar type

I am having trouble with the following aggregate function (in postgres
6.4.2):

create aggregate nlappend ( basetype = varchar, sfunc1 = nl_strappend, stype1 = varchar, initcond1 = ''
);

When I try to define it, I get "parse error at or near varchar".
(nl_strappend is a function of two varchar arguments that returns a
varchar).  Defining an aggregate function on other types works fine.  

Is it possible to define an aggregate function on the varchar type?  If
so, what am I doing wrong?

Please reply via private email; I will summarize replies and followup to
the list.




thanks,
wb

---
Will Benton        | "A black eye never reformed a drunkard; a czar never 
bentonw@stolaf.edu |  stopped a free thought"              --Charles Ives

The parser has some difficulties with "varchar" word.
If you are using v6.4.?
You can define your function as:

create aggregate nlappend ( basetype = text, sfunc1 = nl_strappend, stype1 = text, initcond1 = ''
);

and then define  nl_strappend(text,text)
and now you can pass varchar, char or text as paramters because
PostgreSQL automatically converts it to text.

José


Will Benton ha scritto:

> I am having trouble with the following aggregate function (in postgres
> 6.4.2):
>
> create aggregate nlappend (
>   basetype = varchar,
>   sfunc1 = nl_strappend,
>   stype1 = varchar,
>   initcond1 = ''
> );
>
> When I try to define it, I get "parse error at or near varchar".
> (nl_strappend is a function of two varchar arguments that returns a
> varchar).  Defining an aggregate function on other types works fine.
>
> Is it possible to define an aggregate function on the varchar type?  If
> so, what am I doing wrong?
>
> Please reply via private email; I will summarize replies and followup to
> the list.
>
> thanks,
> wb
>
> ---
> Will Benton        | "A black eye never reformed a drunkard; a czar never
> bentonw@stolaf.edu |  stopped a free thought"              --Charles Ives