Thread: How do i return a dataset from a stored procedure

I can't figure out how to return a group of rows from a function
written in plpgsql (or plsql for that matter). The only way i have
seen it done is with a setof table return value in sql. But since the
query was a single select anyway i don't see the point of this. Is
there a way of creating a temporary table in a procedure and using it
as the output?

thanks

On 5 Jul 2002, teknokrat wrote:

> I can't figure out how to return a group of rows from a function
> written in plpgsql (or plsql for that matter). The only way i have
> seen it done is with a setof table return value in sql. But since the
> query was a single select anyway i don't see the point of this. Is
> there a way of creating a temporary table in a procedure and using it
> as the output?

In 7.2 you can return open cursors from plpgsql functions.  You can
make temp tables in a function, but you have to be careful to make sure
that you don't conflict (what happens if the user calls your function
twice)

On Fri, Jul 05, 2002 at 01:32:33AM -0700, teknokrat wrote:
> I can't figure out how to return a group of rows from a function
> written in plpgsql (or plsql for that matter). The only way i have
> seen it done is with a setof table return value in sql. But since the
> query was a single select anyway i don't see the point of this. Is
> there a way of creating a temporary table in a procedure and using it
> as the output?

Search the list archives (through groups.google.com - it's
comp.databases.postgresql) or see the developer docs for PL/pgSQL. You
can achive that effect by returning a cursor in PG 7.2 (the section on
returning cursors is ommitted from the current docs in
www.postgresql.org/idocs, so you need to look at the developer docs - see
www.us.postgresql.org).

-Roberto

-- 
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Go straight to the docs.  Do not pass GO.  Do not collect $200!

Roberto Mello wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 05, 2002 at 01:32:33AM -0700, teknokrat wrote:
> > I can't figure out how to return a group of rows from a function
> > written in plpgsql (or plsql for that matter). The only way i have
> > seen it done is with a setof table return value in sql. But since the
> > query was a single select anyway i don't see the point of this. Is
> > there a way of creating a temporary table in a procedure and using it
> > as the output?
> 
> Search the list archives (through groups.google.com - it's
> comp.databases.postgresql) or see the developer docs for PL/pgSQL. You
> can achive that effect by returning a cursor in PG 7.2 (the section on
> returning cursors is ommitted from the current docs in
> www.postgresql.org/idocs, so you need to look at the developer docs - see
> www.us.postgresql.org).

7.3 will have better docs on using it but you can see them now in the
developers docs:
http://developer.postgresql.org/docs/postgres/plpgsql-cursors.html

See the bottom of that page for examples.

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