Postgres / plpgsql equivalent to python's getattr() ?

Hackers,

Python's getattr() allows for dynamic lookup of attributes on an  
object, as in:
inst = MyClass(x=12, y=24)v = getattr(inst, 'x')assert v == 12

Oftentimes in writing data validating trigger functions, it'd be real  
handy to be able to do a similar thing in plpgsql against column  
values in a row or record type, such as making use of a trigger  
argument for hint as what column to consider in this table's case. Oh,  
to be able to do something like (toy example known to be equivalent to  
a check):
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION must_be_positive() RETURNS TRIGGER AS$$begin    if getattr(NEW, TG_ARGV[0]) <= 0    then
  raise exception(TG_ARGV[0] || ' must be positive');    end if;
 
    -- after trigger    return null;end;$$ LANGUAGE PLPGSQL;


A function which takes a row + a text column name, and / or a peer  
function taking row + index within row would really open up plpgsql's  
expressivity in cases where you're writing mainly SQL stuff, not  
really wanting to go over to plpythonu or whatnot (whose description  
of rows are as dicts).

Is there something in the internals which inherently prevent this? Or  
am I fool and it already exists?

Not having to defer to EXECUTE would be attractive.


----
James Robinson
Socialserve.com