proposal for PL packages for 8.3.

Hello

Package contains package's variables, shared protected functions and 
initialisation part, which is executed when any public function attached to 
package is called. Every package has defined only one language. The reason 
for this is binary compatibility of package's variables. Private functions 
aren't SQL functions and it isn't possible to call them via SPI. Because 
PL/pgSQL can't call functions via different interface than SPI, PL/pgSQL 
won't support private functions. Package owner can attach any SQL funtions 
to package, even those written in different language, but only functions in 
same language as package can access package variables and protect functions. 
Package is similar to schema. Public package function can access package 
variables or private functions only if it has same language as package. 
Every function can be attached to just one package. Only owner can modify 
package (ALTER OR ATTACH functions).

Samples:

CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE foo_package
AS $$
DECLARE my_var integer;
BEGIN my_var := 0;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql IMMUTABLE;

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION foo_package.counter() RETURNS integer
AS $$
BEGIN my_var := my_var + 1; RETURN foo_package.my_var; -- explicit namespace
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql IMMUTABLE;

SELECT foo_package.counter();

This proposal for package has minimal impact on current implementation of PL 
languages.

CREATE OR REPLACE PACKAGE xml_parser AS $$ USE XML::LibXML;
 my $parser = XML::LibXML->new; my $schema_file = '/home/postgres/comm.xsd'; my $schema =
XML::LibXML::Schema->new(location=> $schema_file);
 

sub get_data
{my ($root, $tag, $optional) = @_;my $aux = $root->getElementsByTag($tag);if (@aux eq 0){    elog(ERROR, "Missing
value")if ! $optional;    return undef;}return @aux[0]->getFirstChild->getData;
 
}
$$ LANGUAGE plperlu;

CREATE OR  REPLACE FUNCTION xml_parser.parse_document ( IN body varchar, OUT name varchar, OUT document_type varchar)
AS $$my $body = $_[0];
my $doc = $parser->parse_string($body);$schema->validate($doc);$root = $doc->getDocumentElement();return {    name =>
$root->nodeName;   document_type => get_data($root, 'type') };
 
$$ LANGUAGE plperlu;

- using different language, can access only public functions
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION xml_parser.validate_all_doc( OUT _name varchar, OUT _state boolean) RETURNS SETOF RECORD
AS $$
DECLARE _body varchar;
BEGIN FOR _body, _name IN SELECT body, path FROM xml_repository LOOP   BEGIN     -- use implicit search_path containing
package_name    _state := true;     PERFORM parse_document(_r.body);   EXCEPTION WHEN OTHERS THEN     _state := false;
END;   RETURN NEXT; END LOOP; RETURN;
 
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql VOLATILE;

SELECT xml_parser.validate_all_doc();

This system is simple and minimalistic and doesn't copy package system from 
ADA or Oracle which are more complicated and don't allow multiple PL.

Any comments are welcome

Regards
Pavel Stehule

p.s. I'll have free time on sept. and can work on it.

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