*** a/doc/src/sgml/plpgsql.sgml
--- b/doc/src/sgml/plpgsql.sgml
***************
*** 710,715 **** SELECT merge_fields(t.*) FROM table1 t WHERE ... ;
--- 710,756 ----
     </para>
    </sect2>
  
+   <sect2 id="plpgsql-declaration-arraytype">
+    <title>Array Types</title>
+ 
+ <synopsis>
+ <replaceable>variable</replaceable>%ARRAYTYPE
+ </synopsis>
+ 
+    <para>
+     <literal>%ARRAYTYPE</literal> provides the array type from a variable or
+     table column.  You can use this to declare array variables that will
+     hold database values.  To declare an array variable that will hold
+     values from <literal>users.user_id</> you can write:
+ <programlisting>
+ user_id users.user_id%ARRAYTYPE;
+ </programlisting>
+    </para>
+ 
+    <para>
+     By using <literal>%ARRAYTYPE</literal> you don't need to know the data
+     type of elements you are referencing.
+    </para>
+   </sect2>
+ 
+   <sect2 id="plpgsql-declaration-elementtype">
+    <title>Array Element Types</title>
+ 
+ <synopsis>
+ <replaceable>variable</replaceable>%ELEMENTTYPE
+ </synopsis>
+ 
+    <para>
+     <literal>%ELEMENTTYPE</literal> provides the element type of a given
+     array.  To declare a variable with the same data type as
+     <literal>users</> array element you can write:
+ <programlisting>
+ user_id users%ELEMENTTYPE;
+ </programlisting>
+    </para>
+ 
+   </sect2>
+ 
    <sect2 id="plpgsql-declaration-collation">
     <title>Collation of <application>PL/pgSQL</application> Variables</title>
  
*** a/src/pl/plpgsql/src/pl_comp.c
--- b/src/pl/plpgsql/src/pl_comp.c
***************
*** 1619,1625 **** plpgsql_parse_tripword(char *word1, char *word2, char *word3,
  
  /*
   * Derive type from ny base type controlled by reftype_mode
-  *
   */
  static PLpgSQL_type *
  derive_type(PLpgSQL_type *base_type, int reftype_mode)
--- 1619,1624 ----
***************
*** 1661,1667 **** derive_type(PLpgSQL_type *base_type, int reftype_mode)
  				ereport(ERROR,
  						(errcode(ERRCODE_DATATYPE_MISMATCH),
  						 errmsg("there are not array type for type %s",
! 									format_type_be(base_type->typoid))));
  
  			return plpgsql_build_datatype(typoid, -1,
  							plpgsql_curr_compile->fn_input_collation);
--- 1660,1666 ----
  				ereport(ERROR,
  						(errcode(ERRCODE_DATATYPE_MISMATCH),
  						 errmsg("there are not array type for type %s",
! 								format_type_be(base_type->typoid))));
  
  			return plpgsql_build_datatype(typoid, -1,
  							plpgsql_curr_compile->fn_input_collation);
*** a/src/pl/plpgsql/src/pl_gram.y
--- b/src/pl/plpgsql/src/pl_gram.y
***************
*** 2694,2700 **** read_datatype(int tok)
  	StringInfoData		ds;
  	char			   *type_name;
  	int					startlocation;
! 	PLpgSQL_type		*result;
  	int					parenlevel = 0;
  
  	/* Should only be called while parsing DECLARE sections */
--- 2694,2700 ----
  	StringInfoData		ds;
  	char			   *type_name;
  	int					startlocation;
! 	PLpgSQL_type		*result = 0;
  	int					parenlevel = 0;
  
  	/* Should only be called while parsing DECLARE sections */
***************
*** 2720,2751 **** read_datatype(int tok)
  			tok = yylex();
  			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  							   K_TYPE, "type"))
- 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_TYPE);
! 				if (result)
! 					return result;
! 			}
! 			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 							   K_ELEMENTTYPE, "elementtype"))
! 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ELEMENT);
! 				if (result)
! 					return result;
! 			}
! 			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 							   K_ARRAYTYPE, "arraytype"))
! 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ARRAY);
- 				if (result)
- 					return result;
- 			}
  			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  									K_ROWTYPE, "rowtype"))
- 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordrowtype(dtname);
! 				if (result)
! 					return result;
! 			}
  		}
  	}
  	else if (plpgsql_token_is_unreserved_keyword(tok))
--- 2720,2737 ----
  			tok = yylex();
  			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  							   K_TYPE, "type"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_TYPE);
! 			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 									K_ELEMENTTYPE, "elementtype"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ELEMENT);
! 			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 									K_ARRAYTYPE, "arraytype"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ARRAY);
  			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  									K_ROWTYPE, "rowtype"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordrowtype(dtname);
! 			if (result)
! 				return result;
  		}
  	}
  	else if (plpgsql_token_is_unreserved_keyword(tok))
***************
*** 2758,2789 **** read_datatype(int tok)
  			tok = yylex();
  			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  							   K_TYPE, "type"))
- 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_TYPE);
! 				if (result)
! 					return result;
! 			}
! 			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 							   K_ELEMENTTYPE, "elementtype"))
! 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ELEMENT);
! 				if (result)
! 					return result;
! 			}
! 			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 							   K_ARRAYTYPE, "arraytype"))
! 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ARRAY);
- 				if (result)
- 					return result;
- 			}
  			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  									K_ROWTYPE, "rowtype"))
- 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordrowtype(dtname);
! 				if (result)
! 					return result;
! 			}
  		}
  	}
  	else if (tok == T_CWORD)
--- 2744,2761 ----
  			tok = yylex();
  			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  							   K_TYPE, "type"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_TYPE);
! 			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 									K_ELEMENTTYPE, "elementtype"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ELEMENT);
! 			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 									K_ARRAYTYPE, "arraytype"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordtype(dtname, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ARRAY);
  			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  									K_ROWTYPE, "rowtype"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_wordrowtype(dtname);
! 			if (result)
! 				return result;
  		}
  	}
  	else if (tok == T_CWORD)
***************
*** 2796,2827 **** read_datatype(int tok)
  			tok = yylex();
  			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  							   K_TYPE, "type"))
- 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_cwordtype(dtnames, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_TYPE);
! 				if (result)
! 					return result;
! 			}
! 			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 							   K_ELEMENTTYPE, "elementtype"))
! 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_cwordtype(dtnames, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ELEMENT);
! 				if (result)
! 					return result;
! 			}
! 			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 							   K_ARRAYTYPE, "arraytype"))
! 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_cwordtype(dtnames, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ARRAY);
- 				if (result)
- 					return result;
- 			}
  			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  									K_ROWTYPE, "rowtype"))
- 			{
  				result = plpgsql_parse_cwordrowtype(dtnames);
! 				if (result)
! 					return result;
! 			}
  		}
  	}
  
--- 2768,2785 ----
  			tok = yylex();
  			if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  							   K_TYPE, "type"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_cwordtype(dtnames, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_TYPE);
! 			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 									K_ELEMENTTYPE, "elementtype"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_cwordtype(dtnames, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ELEMENT);
! 			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
! 									K_ARRAYTYPE, "arraytype"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_cwordtype(dtnames, PLPGSQL_REFTYPE_ARRAY);
  			else if (tok_is_keyword(tok, &yylval,
  									K_ROWTYPE, "rowtype"))
  				result = plpgsql_parse_cwordrowtype(dtnames);
! 			if (result)
! 				return result;
  		}
  	}