PostgreSQL Functions

Summary

In this chapter we took a wide look at some of the most important aspects of PostgreSQL’s function support. We examined the common operators and some of the most useful built-in functions available within PostgreSQL. After that, we took a look at writing user-defined functions using both PostgreSQL’s built-in SQL function language and the bundled PL/pgSQL function language. Finally, we gave you a brief glimpse of some additional PostgreSQL function languages, with pointers to help you explore these options even further.

With the knowledge you gained in this chapter, you should feel comfortable when encountering PostgreSQL functions in application code, and you should be ready to start putting PostgreSQL functions to good use. In the next chapter, we will look at the most common use of PostgreSQL functions: creating triggers.