CREATE SEQUENCE fails in plpgsql function

Hi,

I need a table to hold the last n INSERTs into it. 

To keep track of how many entries there are, and to
provide a unique id to order the records in the table,
I use a sequence. A trigger function deletes and entry
on an insert if the table is full.  

The number n maybe changed, so I implemented this
PL/PgSQL function:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION set_max_records(integer)
RETURNS integer AS '   DECLARE        new_max_records ALIAS FOR $1;   BEGIN       DROP SEQUENCE my_sequence;
--CREATESEQUENCE my_sequence MAXVALUE 4
 
CYCLE;       CREATE SEQUENCE my_sequence MAXVALUE
new_max_records CYCLE;       RETURN 0;   END;   
' LANGUAGE 'plpgsql';

(I left out the part where the table is shrunk and
renumbered if n goes down).


rdb=# select set_max_records(3);
LOG:  query: CREATE SEQUENCE my_sequence MAXVALUE  $1 
CYCLE
LOG:  statement: select set_max_records(3);
WARNING:  Error occurred while executing PL/pgSQL
function set_max_records
LOG:  statement: select set_max_records(3);
WARNING:  line 6 at SQL statement
LOG:  statement: select set_max_records(3);
DEBUG:  AbortCurrentTransaction
ERROR:  parser: parse error at or near "$1" at
character 39

If I don't use the variable new_max_records, it works
(the commented out line). What could be the problem ?

Also, if there is a better mechanism to implement
this, I'm all ears...

Erik Erkelens.

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