Re: procedures and plpgsql PERFORM

On Thursday, December 14, 2017, Ashutosh Bapat <
ashutosh(dot)bapat(at)enterprisedb(dot)com> wrote:

> Hi,
> We allow a function to be invoked as part of PERFORM statement in plpgsql
> do $$
> begin perform pg_relation_size('t1'); end; $$ language plpgsql;
> DO
>
> But we do not allow a procedure to be invoked this way
> create procedure dummy_proc(a int) as $$
> begin null; end;
> $$ language plpgsql;
> CREATE PROCEDURE
>
> do $$
> begin perform dummy_proc(1); end; $$ language plpgsql;
> ERROR: dummy_proc(integer) is a procedure
> LINE 1: SELECT dummy_proc(1)
> ^
> HINT: To call a procedure, use CALL.
> QUERY: SELECT dummy_proc(1)
> CONTEXT: PL/pgSQL function inline_code_block line 2 at PERFORM
>
> The documentation of PERFORM [1] says
> "For any SQL command that does not return rows, for example INSERT
> without a RETURNING clause, you can execute the command within a
> PL/pgSQL function just by writing the command."
>
> Procedures fit that category and like functions, I think, we should
> allow them be invoked directly without any quoting and CALL
> decoration.
>

I disagree. The SQL command is 'CALL'. The documentation is really only
clarifying when PERFORM is explicitly required.

merlin