The following bug has been logged online:

Bug reference: 2108
Logged by: Tony
Email address: tony@vectorsalad.com
PostgreSQL version: 8.1.0
Operating system: Debian 1:3.3.5-8ubuntu2, 2.6.10-5-k7, i686
Description: Function with OUT parameters not recognized, using
plpgsql
Details:

Defined a function with OUT paramter. Attempts to call it fail as the
function can not be found.

Example:

<code>

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_multiparam (
i1 integer,
i2 varchar,
OUT o1 varchar
) AS
$$
BEGIN
o1 := 'i2 was ' || i2;
END;
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_showperformstatus () RETURNS varchar AS
$$
DECLARE
outparameter varchar;
BEGIN
PERFORM f_multiparam(1, 'hello', outparameter);
RETURN 'successfully run';
END;
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;

select f_showperformstatus();

</code>

Output:

CREATE FUNCTION
CREATE FUNCTION
psql:bug2.sql:24: ERROR: function f_multiparam(integer, "unknown",
character varying) does not exist
HINT: No function matches the given name and argument types. You may need
to add explicit type casts.
CONTEXT: SQL statement "SELECT f_multiparam(1, 'hello', $1 )"
PL/pgSQL function "f_showperformstatus" line 4 at perform

It appears that the function is not defined properly in the system, with
only 2 parameters instead of 3:

\df f_multiparam
List of functions
Schema | Name | Result data type | Argument data types
--------+--------------+-------------------+----------------------------
apps | f_multiparam | character varying | integer, character varying


Explicitly casting the value 'hello' as suggested does not help. Changing
the function definition from OUT to INOUT parameter is a successful
workaround.

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"Tony" <tony@vectorsalad.com> writes:
> Defined a function with OUT paramter. Attempts to call it fail as the
> function can not be found.

Apparently, you don't understand how OUT parameters work either :-(
Perhaps the examples here will help:
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/s...PUT-PARAMETERS

regards, tom lane

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Tony wrote:

> CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_multiparam (
> i1 integer,
> i2 varchar,
> OUT o1 varchar
> ) AS
> $$
> BEGIN
> o1 := 'i2 was ' || i2;
> END;
> $$
> LANGUAGE plpgsql;
>
> CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_showperformstatus () RETURNS varchar AS
> $$
> DECLARE
> outparameter varchar;
> BEGIN
> PERFORM f_multiparam(1, 'hello', outparameter);
> RETURN 'successfully run';
> END;
> $$
> LANGUAGE plpgsql;

You are misunderstanding how are functions with OUT params supposed to
be called, I think. Try this:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_multiparam (
i1 integer,
i2 varchar,
OUT o1 varchar
) AS
$$
BEGIN
o1 := 'i2 was ' || i2;
END;
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_showperformstatus () RETURNS varchar AS
$$
DECLARE
outparameter varchar;
BEGIN
SELECT INTO outparameter f_multiparam(1, 'hello');
RAISE NOTICE 'the out param is %', outparameter;
RETURN 'successfully run';
END;
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;


The output I get is what I'd expect:

alvherre=# select f_showperformstatus();
NOTICE: the out param is i2 was hello
f_showperformstatus
---------------------
successfully run
(1 fila)



I think this also applies to your INOUT report, but I haven't checked.

--
Alvaro Herrera http://www.CommandPrompt.com/
PostgreSQL Replication, Consulting, Custom Development, 24x7 support

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Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> Stallone wrote:
>
> Please keep replies on the list.
>
>
>>What you have done is run a SELECT which evaluates the function
>>f_multiparam() passing it two parameters, and then takes the result and
>>puts it INTO a local parameter. This is not the same. An OUT parameter
>>is actually passed to the function and is part of the function
>>specification, in this case it is defined as the third parameter. It's
>>like a placeholder within the definition of the function itself, and it
>>should show up on the list of parameters for that function. You can, in
>>fact, have many OUT parameters in one function. This is an advantage of
>>out parameters over just a plain function with a single RETURN element.
>>
>>At least this is how it has always worked for me.
>
>
> Has always worked where? In Postgres? It's strange that you mention
> "always" because OUT parameters are new in Postgres 8.1. Behavior in
> other database systems is not directly applicable to Postgres.
>
> Keep in mind that in Postgres we don't have host variables, which is
> what is needed to make OUT params work the way you are assuming they do.
> This could be improved in the future but currently that's the way it is.
>

I have seriously mistaken the nature of IN/OUT parameters in Postgres.

This misunderstanding all leaked over from Oracle and is not applicable
at all here. Maybe this might make a good bullet point to add in Sec
36.11 "Porting from Oracle PL/SQL". I will post a note separately there.

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