Chapter 5. PL/PGSQL
PostgreSQL provides a special programming language for developing functions within SQL code. This programming language (that's the reason why it is called PL/pgSQL) offers the programmer far more execution potential than simple SELECT, INSERT, or UPDATE commands. The power of PL/pgSQL can be used to solve problems that cannot be solved with pure SQL statements. The package was initially written by Jan Wieck. Let's take a look at the main ideas and basic concepts of PL/pgSQL.
PL/pgSQL is a procedural language and is similar to Oracle's PL/SQL (see the section titled “Why Use PL/pgSQL,” later in this chapter). Like PL/SQL, PL/pgSQL is a block-oriented language that supports variable declaration, loops, logical constructs, and ...
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