Re: SELECT syntax synopsis: column_definition?

Gregory Stark wrote:
> "Michael Glaesemann" <grzm@seespotcode.net> writes:
> 
> > ERROR:  a column definition list is only allowed for functions  returning
> > "record"
> >
> > So the *form* is right, but I don't know of an example that works.
> 
> postgres=# create function testf() returns record as 'select 1' language sql;
> CREATE FUNCTION
> postgres=# select * from testf() as (i integer);
>  i 
> ---
>  1
> (1 row)
> 
> 
> I haven't quite figured out how this is useful though. It probably makes more
> sense if you use plpgsql but I still don't quite see what the use case is.

Any function declared as returning SETOF RECORD needs it, when you don't
use OUT params.  Before OUT params existed, it was the only way to use
those functions.

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