Thread: BUG #15606: Postgres incorrectly returns syntax error when using WITHclacuse

The following bug has been logged on the website:

Bug reference:      15606
Logged by:          Rikke Hammer
Email address:      newsx@outlook.com
PostgreSQL version: 11.1
Operating system:   Windows 10 Home  version1803 x64
Description:

I get a syntax error when I try to use a WITH clause in a query. Below is a
simple test query. It (as as well as any other WITH clause query I do,
creates the following error:

          SQL Error [42601]: ERROR: syntax error at end of input
          Position: 53
           ERROR: syntax error at end of input
           Position: 53
           ERROR: syntax error at end of input
           Position: 53


CREATE TABLE employees (
 employee_id serial PRIMARY KEY,
 full_name VARCHAR NOT NULL,
 manager_id INT
);

INSERT INTO employees (
 employee_id,
 full_name,
 manager_id
)
VALUES
 (1, 'Michael North', NULL),
 (2, 'Megan Berry', 1),
 (3, 'Sarah Berry', 1),
 (4, 'Zoe Black', 1),
 (5, 'Tim James', 1),
 (6, 'Bella Tucker', 2),
 (7, 'Ryan Metcalfe', 2);
 

WITH emp AS (
select * from rikke_hammer.employees)

On Wed, Jan 23, 2019 at 7:40 AM PG Bug reporting form
<noreply@postgresql.org> wrote:
>
> The following bug has been logged on the website:
>
> Bug reference:      15606
> Logged by:          Rikke Hammer
> Email address:      newsx@outlook.com
> PostgreSQL version: 11.1
> Operating system:   Windows 10 Home  version1803 x64
> Description:
>
> I get a syntax error when I try to use a WITH clause in a query. Below is a
> simple test query. It (as as well as any other WITH clause query I do,
> creates the following error:
>
>           SQL Error [42601]: ERROR: syntax error at end of input
>           Position: 53
[...]
> WITH emp AS (
> select * from rikke_hammer.employees)

If you actually just want to execute the query you are putting into
the WITH what is the point of wrapping it with "WITH"?

This is not a bug.  As the error message indicates the parser is
expecting you to write more sql stuff.  In this case a SELECT
statement that actually uses the emp CTE

[ WITH [ RECURSIVE ] with_query [, ...] ]
SELECT [ ALL | DISTINCT [ ON ( expression [, ...] ) ] ]
...

David J.