Thread

1. varchar function

   jose' soares <sferac@bo.nettuno.it> — 1999-02-17T12:00:50Z

   Hi,
   
   I'm trying to create a varchar(float8) to cast float to varchar but I
   can't create it.
   I can create bpchar(foat8) and text(float8) and it works well but
   varchar(float8).
   
   EXAPLE:
   
   create table test(f float, n name);
   CREATE
   insert into test values(1.23, current_user);
   INSERT 192042 1
   select cast(f as text) from test;
   text
   -------------------------
   2000-01-01 01:00:01.23+01   <----this is wrong then I create
   text(float8)
   (1 row)
   
   select cast(f as char) from test;
   ERROR:  No such function 'bpchar' with the specified attributes
   select cast(f as varchar) from test;
   ERROR:  No such function 'varchar' with the specified attributes
   create function text(float8) returns text as
   'begin
           return $1;
   end;' language 'plpgsql';
   CREATE
   create function bpchar(float8) returns bpchar as
   'begin
           return $1;
   end;' language 'plpgsql';
   CREATE
   create function varchar(float8) returns varchar as
   'begin
           return $1;
   end;' language 'plpgsql';
   ERROR:  parser: parse error at or near "varchar"  <---there's a parser
   error.
   select cast(f as text) from test;
   text
   ----
   1.23    <------and now it works
   (1 row)
   
   select cast(f as char) from test;
   bpchar
   ------
     1.23
   (1 row)
   
   ----I see there are some varchar built-in functions but I can't use them
   also...
   
   \df varchar
   result |function       |arguments     |description
   -------+---------------+--------------+---------------------
   bool   |varchareq      |varchar varcha|equal
   bool   |varcharge      |varchar varcha|greater-than-or-equal
   bool   |varchargt      |varchar varcha|greater-than
   bool   |varcharle      |varchar varcha|less-than-or-equal
   bool   |varcharlt      |varchar varcha|less-than
   bool   |varcharne      |varchar varcha|not equal
   int4   |varcharcmp     |varchar varcha|less-equal-greater
   int4   |varcharlen     |varchar       |character length
   int4   |varcharoctetlen|varchar       |octet length
   varchar|varchar        |name          |convert
   varchar|varchar        |varchar int4  |
   (11 rows)
   
   select varchar(n) from test;
   ERROR:  parser: parse error at or near "n"
   
   
   --Any ideas ?
   
   -Jose'-
   
   

2. Re: [HACKERS] varchar function

   Thomas Lockhart <lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu> — 1999-02-18T03:16:57Z

   > I'm trying to create a varchar(float8) to cast float to varchar but I
   > can't create it.
   > --Any ideas ?
   
   >From the current development tree (I'm pretty sure; may not have
   committed everything yet):
   
   postgres=> select varchar('123'::float8);
   ERROR:  parser: parse error at or near "'"
   postgres=> select varchar(float8 '123');
   ERROR:  parser: parse error at or near "float8"
   postgres=> select (float8 '123')::varchar;
   ?column?
   --------
        123
   (1 row)
   
   It seems that there are some problems with calls to functions named
   varchar().
   
                            - Tom