Re: Assert single row returning SQL-standard functions

Pavel Stehule <pavel.stehule@gmail.com>

From: Pavel Stehule <pavel.stehule@gmail.com>
To: Joel Jacobson <joel@compiler.org>
Cc: pgsql-hackers <pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org>
Date: 2025-08-29T12:57:21Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers

Commits

Same data as JSON: GET /api/v1/messages/:b64id/commits the thread's linked commits as JSON, with link sources. API reference →
  1. Add error_on_null(), checking if the input is the null value

  2. SQL-standard function body

pá 29. 8. 2025 v 11:51 odesílatel Joel Jacobson <joel@compiler.org> napsal:

> On Fri, Aug 29, 2025, at 10:30, Pavel Stehule wrote:
> > pá 29. 8. 2025 v 10:16 odesílatel Joel Jacobson <joel@compiler.org>
> napsal:
> >> Can we think of some SQL-standard function way to also prevent against
> 0 rows?
> >>
> >
> > I am afraid there is not nothing. NULL is the correct result in SQL.
> > SQL allow to check ROW_COUNT by using GET DIAGNOSTICS commands and
> > raising an error when something is unexpected
> >
> > I can imagine allowing the NOT NULL flag for functions, and then the
> > result can be checked on NOT NULL value.
>
> I like the idea of a NOT NULL flag for functions.
> What syntax could we image for that?
>
> Regarding DML functions, could we make the RETURN () trick work somehow?
>
> Here is a failed attempt:
>
> CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION test_update(_a int)
> RETURNS bool
> RETURN (
>     WITH update_cte AS (
>         UPDATE footab SET id = _a WHERE footab.id = _a RETURNING footab.id
>     )
>     SELECT id FROM update_cte
> );
>
> ERROR:  WITH clause containing a data-modifying statement must be at the
> top level
> LINE 4:     WITH update_cte AS (
>                  ^
>
> I'm not sure if this is a standard requirement, or if it's just a
> PostgreSQL-specific limitation?
>

ANSI/SQL syntax is (pipelined DML)

SELECT oldtbl.empno FROM OLD TABLE (DELETE FROM emp WHERE deptno = 2) AS oldtbl;
SELECT newtbl.empno FROM NEW TABLE (UPDATE emp SET salary = 0 WHERE
deptno = 2) AS newtbl;



>
> /Joel
>