Re: HELP: Scarey pl/pgsql problem

Hi all,

I must apologise as it turns out the 'culprit' wasn't really pl/pgsql.

The test box I was testing on is Mandrake Linux 7.2, which comes with
PostgreSQL 7.0.2.  Everything else has version 7.0.3 installed on it,
and I naively assumed that 7.0.3 was installed on the test box.

After installing the Postgres 7.0.3 rpms from the PostgreSQL site,
pl/pgsql is working consistently again.  It looks like the rpms for
PostgreSQL supplied with Mandrake Linux 7.2 are broken, I guess they
didn't run the supplied tests before packaging.  :-(

Regards and best wishes,

Justin Clift
Database Administrator


Justin Clift wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm having trouble with what MAY BE a bug in PL/PGSQL for PG 7.0.3 on
> Linux (Mandrake Linux 7.2).
> 
> It appears pl/pgsql is munging values.  When I pass it a 'time' value,
> the value is altered without my code touching it.  This is evidenced by
> the stripped down function below :
> 
> CREATE FUNCTION which_block(time)
> RETURNS time
> AS 'DECLARE
> 
> /* Given a time, this function works out the name of the correct field
> in the reservations table for it
>  * Written by : Justin Clift
>  * Date       : 1st February 2001
>  * Version    : 1.00
>  */
>         hours   char(3);
>         minutes char(2);
>         result  char(5);
>         tempres char(5);
>         curnow  datetime;
> 
>         BEGIN
> 
>         RETURN $1;
>         END;'
> LANGUAGE 'plpgsql';
> 
> foobar=# select which_block(time '12:40:00');
>  which_block
> -------------
>  12:39:00
> (1 row)
> 
> foobar=#
> 
> Having passed it the time value of '12:40:00', I am immediately
> returning that value and it is no longer '12:40:00'.
> 
> Being over 1 month into using PostgreSQL 7.0.3 for a particular project,
> this is scaring me as I'm now doubting the reliability of things.
> 
> Regards and best wishes,
> 
> Justin Clift
> Database Administrator