error creating sql function

[Matthew T. O'Connor]

I was trying to create a sql function today (see below) using
postgresql 7.3.3. I don't see how to get around this error, anyone
have any suggestions?

Thanks much,

Matthew

tocr=# CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION public.update_dncl(bpchar, bpchar)
tocr-# RETURNS void AS
tocr-# '
tocr'# begin;
tocr'# update area_codes
tocr'# set last_updated = now()
tocr'# where code = $1;
tocr'# DELETE from do_not_call_list
tocr'# where area_code = $1;
tocr'# copy do_not_call_list (area_code, number) from $2 with delimiter
as \',\';
tocr'# commit;
tocr'# '
tocr-# LANGUAGE 'sql' VOLATILE;
ERROR: parser: parse error at or near "$2" at character 178
tocr=# COMMENT ON FUNCTION public.update_dncl(bpchar, bpchar) IS 'Will
be used to update an area code in the DNCL tables.';
COMMENT

tocr=# SELECT version();

version
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PostgreSQL 7.3.3 on i686-pc-linux-gnu, compiled by GCC gcc (GCC) 3.2
20020903 (Red Hat Linux 8.0 3.2-7)
(1 row)
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[Bill Moran]

Matthew T. O'Connor wrote:

I was trying to create a sql function today (see below) using
postgresql 7.3.3. I don't see how to get around this error, anyone
have any suggestions?

Thanks much,

Matthew

tocr=# CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION public.update_dncl(bpchar, bpchar)
tocr-# RETURNS void AS
tocr-# '
tocr'# begin;
tocr'# update area_codes
tocr'# set last_updated = now()
tocr'# where code = $1;
tocr'# DELETE from do_not_call_list
tocr'# where area_code = $1;
tocr'# copy do_not_call_list (area_code, number) from $2 with delimiter
as \',\';
tocr'# commit;
tocr'# '
tocr-# LANGUAGE 'sql' VOLATILE;
ERROR: parser: parse error at or near "$2" at character 178
tocr=# COMMENT ON FUNCTION public.update_dncl(bpchar, bpchar) IS 'Will
be used to update an area code in the DNCL tables.';
COMMENT
Quick reply ... I haven't tested this, and it's only a theory, so treat
it as such.

The copy command should have '' around the filename, so possibly:
copy do_not_call_list (area_code, number) from ''$2'' with delimiter as \',\';

.... would work?
tocr=# SELECT version();

version
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PostgreSQL 7.3.3 on i686-pc-linux-gnu, compiled by GCC gcc (GCC) 3.2
20020903 (Red Hat Linux 8.0 3.2-7)
(1 row)
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--
Bill Moran
Potential Technologies
http://www.potentialtech.com
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[Tom Lane]

"Matthew T. O'Connor" <ma*****@zeut.net> writes:

I was trying to create a sql function today (see below) using
postgresql 7.3.3. I don't see how to get around this error, anyone
have any suggestions? tocr=# CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION public.update_dncl(bpchar, bpchar)
...
tocr'# copy do_not_call_list (area_code, number) from $2 with delimiter
...
tocr-# LANGUAGE 'sql' VOLATILE;
ERROR: parser: parse error at or near "$2" at character 178

COPY, like all the other utility commands in Postgres, doesn't support
$n parameters. (Basically, you can only use these where an expression
would be allowed, which is only in SELECT/INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE.)

You can work around this by constructing the desired command as a string
in plpgsql or one of the other PL languages, say

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION public.update_dncl(bpchar, bpchar)
....
execute ''copy do_not_call_list (area_code, number) from '' || quote_literal($2) || '' with delimiter ''
....
LANGUAGE 'plpgsql' VOLATILE;

regards, tom lane

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