Re: UPDATE...RETURNING col INTO var - what is returned?

On 27 May 2010, at 18:12, Rainer Pruy wrote:

> Hi all,
> I just got quite confused on the exact semantics
> of "RETURNING expressions INTO target" with an update statement.
>
> And while trying to resolve failed to find an answer in the docs.
>
> Question was whether - in case "expression" is involving a column that is assigned by the update itself -
> the value returned is based on the "old" value or the "new" value".
>
> While I'm no back to assuming is has to be the "old" one,
> I did not find a reference to that fact with the docs.

I'm pretty sure it's the new value, since that's what INSERT...RETURNING returns - very convenient if the value you inserted was generated somehow (by a sequence for example).
Since you can also UPDATE some column using a generated value, it'd make sense if it would behave the same way.

Alban Hertroys

--
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