Re: Problems with variable cursorname in ecpg

Michael Meskes írta:
> On Wed, Mar 31, 2010 at 10:35:31AM +0200, Boszormenyi Zoltan wrote:
>   
>>> I think we should  make the error message/documentation a little bit clearer as
>>> people have stumbled over it.
>>>       
>> Yes, we need to document it.
>>     
>
> I changed the error message and documented a possible improvement in the TODO list.
>
>   
>> I think you forget that in this case, only global variables are
>> usable in the DECLARE in this case, no local variables in
>> functions preceding the DECLARE are visible to it.
>>     
>
> I thought about not allowing variables in declare statements that are outside a
> function. Do you think it makes sense to allow those? Forbidding these right
> now would give us more headroomfor future development.
>   

I think forbidding global variables in DECLARE is not good.
Consider this code (existing code using this practice is in use):

/* globals for our cursor */
EXEC SQL BEGIN DECLARE SECTION;
char   *global_curname;
EXEC SQL END DECLARE SECTION;

void open_cursor(char *curname)
{   global_curname = curname;   EXEC SQL DECLARE :global_curname CURSOR FOR ...;   EXEC SQL OPEN :global_curname;
}

... and similar codes for FETCH (into SQLDA) and CLOSE.
It works nicely for single-threaded code.

The dump_variables() code cannot distinguish between the
dynamic cursorname variable (used for $0) and the other
input variables. Considering the usefulness of the current
state, we shouldn't disallow global variables for DECLARE.

Best regards,
Zoltán Böszörményi

-- 
Bible has answers for everything. Proof:
"But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more
than these cometh of evil." (Matthew 5:37) - basics of digital technology.
"May your kingdom come" - superficial description of plate tectonics

----------------------------------
Zoltán Böszörményi
Cybertec Schönig & Schönig GmbH
http://www.postgresql.at/