Re: subselects in the target list

From: Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us>
To: Neil Conway <neilc(at)samurai(dot)com>
Cc: pgsql-hackers <pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: Re: subselects in the target list
Date: 2005-02-03 04:22:24
Message-ID: 11492.1107404544@sss.pgh.pa.us
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Neil Conway <neilc(at)samurai(dot)com> writes:
> neilc=# select a, (select * from abc) from abc;
> ERROR: subquery must return only one column

> Is there a reason we can't treat a subselect in the target list as
> returning a composite type?

Given the 8.0 infrastructure for unnamed record types it might be
possible to do that; it was surely never possible before. Whether it's
a good idea is another question. The syntax you are showing is designed
to return a scalar. It will (and should) barf on multiple rows as well
as multiple columns.

> For that matter, is this behavior also intentional?

> neilc=# select a, foo_abc2() FROM abc;
> ERROR: set-valued function called in context that cannot accept a set
> CONTEXT: PL/pgSQL function "foo_abc2" line 1 at return next

It's an implementation restriction in plpgsql: we didn't make it support
the old-style SRF API. I'm unconvinced that it's worth fixing
considering that this whole behavior (SRFs in the targetlist) is
deprecated.

regards, tom lane

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