Re: [GENERAL] virtual fields ( proxy execution ?? )

You can set up a trigger to be activated on any event such as UPDATE.
The trigger calls a function which may be a C function. The trigger can
take arguments. So I would say if you wrote a C function which
execve()'s its arguments that would be what you want.

I agree that it sounds useful enough that such a function should perhaps
be a standard part of postgres. Perhaps if you implement it you could
donate it to the core code. (unless there's already one there I don't
know about).

paulmoody wrote:
>
> Hi
> Err maybe that was a bad example. How about this ... I have ( not really )
> a large number of programmable power supplies connected to my remote Linux box
> where the details about each supply are stored in a database.( eg 100 supplies
> = 100 records ). One of the fields in each record might be called voltage. If
> I query a particular field then the current voltage of the supply is returned.
> If I write to that same field then that particular supply would have its
> voltage adjusted to the written value. This would allow me to manipulate the
> power supply parameters using SQL and would be a powerful ( no pun ) tool for
> doing all sorts of things in response to alarms etc ( including sending email
> ).
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Chris Bitmead wrote:
>
> > I'm a bit vague on what you mean. Are you saying you want to be able to
> > say to postgres...
> >
> > INSERT INTO message(to,subject,body) VALUES ('fred(at)foo(dot)com', 'Hello',
> > 'How\'s it going');
> >
> > and instead of storing a message into postgres, it will send a mail
> > message to fred?
> >
> > Then you want to say...
> > SELECT to, subject, body FROM messages;
> >
> > And have a list of mail messages be returned, not from postgres tables,
> > but from your UNIX mailbox?
> >
> > Just want to be clear on what you are asking.
> >

--
Chris Bitmead
http://www.bigfoot.com/~chris.bitmead
mailto:chris(dot)bitmead(at)bigfoot(dot)com