Fw: Help needed

hello all,
I desparately need help in developing stored procedure using postgresql 8.0. I am using pgadmin for developing the stored procs. Can anyone please help me, The docs are really not helpful.

am trying to pass values through a jsp page wherein I am accessing this stored procedures by the following select ststemet

SELECT sp_build_course('ETLCRC0001:ETLCRC0010:', 'CRCSUB0001:CRCSUB0001:', 'ABC', 'minal' )

the function is as below:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION sp_build_course("varchar", "varchar", "varchar", "varchar")
RETURNS text AS
'
Declare
COURSEIDS VARCHAR(1000) ;
TOPICIDS VARCHAR(1000);
COURSENAME VARCHAR(150);
USERNAME VARCHAR(20);

COURSEIDS1 VARCHAR(1000);
TOPICIDS1 VARCHAR(1000);
COURSEID1 VARCHAR(20);
TOPICID1 VARCHAR(20);
NEWCOURSEID VARCHAR(20);
NEWTOPICID VARCHAR(20);
COLUMN1 VARCHAR(50);
COLUMN2 VARCHAR(50);
COLUMN3 VARCHAR(50);
COLUMN4 VARCHAR(50);
QCODE1 VARCHAR(10);
QDATE1 VARCHAR(10);
QSNO INTEGER;
WEIGHTAGE INTEGER;
QSTYPE VARCHAR(50);
QUESTION VARCHAR(1000);
MARKS VARCHAR(50);
QFLAG BOOL;
PFLAG BIT;
PAPER_TYPE VARCHAR(20);
CINDEX INTEGER;
TINDEX INTEGER;
INDEX INTEGER;
QINDEX INTEGER;
QUESTIONID INTEGER;
NEWQUESTIONID INTEGER;
LESSON_FLOW_TITLE VARCHAR(50);
TREE_NODE_TYPE VARCHAR(50);
VIDEO_SIZE INTEGER;
ROOT_NODE_ID INTEGER;
SLIDE_ORDER INTEGER;
row1 record;
row2 record;
row3 record;
COURSENAME1 varchar(150);
USERNAME1 varchar(50);

BEGIN
SET COURSEIDS1:=COURSEIDS;
SET TOPICIDS1:=TOPICIDS;
SET COURSENAME1:=COURSENAME;
SET USERNAME1:=USERNAME;

--PRINT \'INSIDE THE STORED PROCEDURE\'

COLUMN1 := DATE_PART(\'Day\',current_date);
COLUMN2 := DATE_PART(\'Month\',current_date);
COLUMN3 := DATE_PART(\'Year\',current_date);

IF LENGTH(COLUMN1) = 1 THEN
COLUMN1 := \'0\' || COLUMN1;
END IF;
IF LENGTH(COLUMN2) = 1 THEN
COLUMN2 := \'0\' || COLUMN2;
END IF;

QDATE1 := COLUMN1 || COLUMN2 || COLUMN3;

SELECT trim(to_char(max(to_number(QCODE,\'999999\'))+1,\'000009\')) INTO QCODE1 FROM QUESTION WHERE QDATE = QDATE1;

WHILE (LENGTH(QCODE1) < 6) LOOP
QCODE1 := \'0\' || QCODE1;
END LOOP;

SELECT MAX(SUBSTR(COURSEID,7,LENGTH(COURSEID))) INTO NEWCOURSEID FROM COURSEMASTER;

WHILE (LENGTH(NEWCOURSEID) < 4) LOOP
NEWCOURSEID := \'0\' || NEWCOURSEID;
END LOOP;
NEWCOURSEID := \'ETLCRC\' || NEWCOURSEID;
INSERT INTO COURSEMASTER(COURSEID, COURSENAME) VALUES ( NEWCOURSEID,COURSENAME1);
CINDEX := POSITION(\':\' IN COURSEIDS1);
TINDEX := POSITION(\':\' IN TOPICIDS1);
INDEX := 1;
WHILE (CINDEX > 0) LOOP
COURSEID1 := SUBSTR(COURSEIDS1,1,(CINDEX-1));
TOPICID := SUBSTR(TOPICIDS1,1,(TINDEX-1));

-- TRANSACTION STARTS HERE
NEWTOPICID := INDEX;
WHILE (LENGTH(NEWTOPICID) < 4) LOOP
NEWTOPICID := \'0\' || NEWTOPICID;
END LOOP;
NEWTOPICID := \'CRCSUB\' || NEWTOPICID;
INSERT INTO MYTABLE6 VALUES(COURSEID1, TOPICID, NEWCOURSEID, NEWTOPICID);
INSERT INTO TOPICS SELECT NEWCOURSEID, NEWTOPICID, TOPICNAME FROM TOPICS WHERE COURSEID=COURSEID AND TOPICID=TOPICID;
SELECT NULLIF(0,COUNT(*)) INTO COLUMN3 FROM LESSON_FLOW WHERE COURSEID=COURSEID AND TOPICID=TOPICID;
COLUMN1 := COURSEID1 || \'_\' || TOPICID || \'_\';
COLUMN2 := NEWCOURSEID || \'_\' || NEWTOPICID || \'_\';
IF (COLUMN3 >0) THEN
SELECT MAX(ATTACHMENT_ID) + 1 INTO COLUMN3 FROM COURSE_LESSON;
INSERT INTO COURSE_LESSON(COURSEID1, TOPICID, RECORD_STATUS, ATTACHMENT_ID) VALUES (NEWCOURSEID, NEWTOPICID,0, CONVERT(INT, COLUMN3));
INSERT INTO ATTACHMENT SELECT COLUMN3, COLUMN2 + SUBSTR(URL,23,LENGTH(URL)), SEQUENCE FROM ATTACHMENT WHERE SUBSTR(URL,0,23) = COLUMN1;
SELECT MAX(LF_ID) + 1 INTO COLUMN4 FROM LESSON_FLOW;

FOR row1 IN SELECT LESSON_FLOW_TITLE, TREE_NODE_TYPE, VIDEO_SIZE, ROOT_NODE_ID, SLIDE_ORDER FROM LESSON_FLOW WHERE COURSEID=COURSEID AND TOPICID = TOPICID
LOOP
LESSON_FLOW_TITLE:=row1.LESSON_FLOW_TITLE;
TREE_NODE_TYPE:=row1.TREE_NODE_TYPE;
VIDEO_SIZE:=row1.VIDEO_SIZE;
ROOT_NODE_ID:=row1.ROOT_NODE_ID;
SLIDE_ORDER:=row1.SLIDE_ORDER;

INSERT INTO LESSON_FLOW VALUES (COLUMN4, NEWCOURSEID, NEWTOPICID, LESSON_FLOW_TITLE, TREE_NODE_TYPE, VIDEO_SIZE, COLUMN3, ROOT_NODE_ID, SLIDE_ORDER);
COLUMN4 := COLUMN4 + 1;

END LOOP;
INSERT INTO SELECTEDSESSION SELECT NEWCOURSEID, NEWTOPICID, COLUMN2 + SUBSTR(URL,23,LENGTH(URL)) FROM SELECTEDSESSION WHERE COURSEID= COURSEID1 AND TOPICID= TOPICID;
END IF;
QINDEX := 1;

FOR row2 IN SELECT QUESTION_ID, QSNO, WEIGHTAGE, QSTYPE, QUESTION, MARKS, FLAG, PAPER_TYPE FROM QUESTION WHERE COURSEID=COURSEID AND TOPICID = TOPICID
LOOP
QUESTIONID:=row2.QUESTION_ID;
QSNO:=row2.QSNO;
WEIGHTAGE:=row2.WEIGHTAGE;
QSTYPE:=row2.QSTYPE;
QUESTION:=row2.QUESTION;
MARKS:=row2.MARKS;
QFLAG:=row2.FLAG;
PAPER_TYPE:=row2.PAPER_TYPE;

INSERT INTO QUESTION (COURSEID1, TOPICID, QSNO, WEIGHTAGE, QSTYPE, QUESTION, MARKS, QDATE, QCODE,FLAG, USERNAME, PAPER_TYPE) VALUES (NEWCOURSEID, NEWTOPICID, QINDEX, WEIGHTAGE, QSTYPE, QUESTION, MARKS, QDATE1, QCODE,QFLAG, USERNAME1, PAPER_TYPE);
NEWQUESTIONID := IDENTITY;
INSERT INTO OPTIONS SELECT NEWQUESTIONID, OPTIONS, CORRECTOPTION FROM OPTIONS WHERE QUESTION_ID=QUESTIONID;
QCODE1 :=QCODE1 + 1;
WHILE (LENGTH(QCODE1) < 6) LOOP
QCODE1 := \'0\' || QCODE1;
END LOOP;
QINDEX := QINDEX + 1;
END LOOP;
QINDEX := 1;

FOR row3 IN SELECT QUESTION_ID, QSNO, QSTYPE, QUESTION, FLAG FROM POLL_QUESTION WHERE COURSEID=COURSEID AND TOPICID = TOPICID
LOOP
QUESTIONID:=row3.QUESTIONID;
QSNO:=row3.QSNO;
QSTYPE:=row3.QSTYPE;
QUESTION:=row3.QUESTION;
PFLAG:=row3.FLAG;
INSERT INTO POLL_QUESTION (COURSEID1, TOPICID, QSNO, QSTYPE, QUESTION, QDATE, QCODE,FLAG, USERNAME) VALUES (NEWCOURSEID, NEWTOPICID, QINDEX, QSTYPE, QUESTION, QDATE1, QCODE1,PFLAG, USERNAME1);
NEWQUESTIONID := IDENTITY;
INSERT INTO POLL_OPTIONS SELECT NEWQUESTIONID, OPTIONS, SUB_OPTIONS, TYPE,DISPLAY FROM POLL_OPTIONS WHERE QUESTION_ID=QUESTIONID;
QCODE1 := QCODE1 + 1;
WHILE (LENGTH(QCODE1) < 6) loop
QCODE1 := \'0\' || QCODE1;
END LOOP;
QINDEX := QINDEX + 1;
END LOOP;

COURSEIDS1 := SUBSTR(COURSEIDS1,(CINDEX+1),LENGTH(COURSEIDS1));
TOPICIDS1 := SUBSTR(TOPICIDS1,(TINDEX+1),LENGTH(TOPICIDS1));
CINDEX := POSITION(\':\' IN COURSEIDS1);
TINDEX := POSITION(\':\' IN TOPICIDS1);
INDEX := INDEX + 1;

END LOOP;

RETURN \'1\';
END;

'
LANGUAGE 'plpgsql' VOLATILE;

when I run it I get the following error:
ERROR: syntax error at or near "$1" at character 6
CONTEXT: PL/pgSQL function "sp_build_course" line 45 at SQL statement.

Can someone please look into the procedure and tell me where I have gone wrong.