Re: variables with SELECT statement

OK that is a syntax I have never seen. But correct we are getting
close.

Noticed that string_to_array does not handle double spaces very well.
If there are double space between the tokens, there is "" (empty string)

in the array returned. Not exactly what I expected.

KD

-----Original Message-----
From: pgsql-sql-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org
[mailto:pgsql-sql-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org] On Behalf Of Frank Bax
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 4:07 PM
Cc: pgsql-sql(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: [SQL] variables with SELECT statement

Kevin Duffy wrote:
> Within my table there is a field DESCRIPTION that I would like to
parse
> and split out into other fields.
>
> Within DESCRIPTION there are spaces that separate the data items.
> String_to_array(description, ' ') does the job very well.
>
> I need something like this to work.
>
> select string_to_array(description, ' ') as a_desc,
> a_desc[0] as name , a_desc[1] as type, a_desc[2] as
> size, from prodlist where type = 'B'

You almost had it ...

select a_desc, a_desc[1] as name, a_desc[2] as type, a_desc[3] as size
from (select string_to_array(description, ' ') as a_desc from prodlist)
as foo where a_desc[2] = 'B'