plpgsql (programming language pgsql) normally lives in function. But we'll write it outside. You can write the following into pg
's shell or into an admin panel's input.
Outside a function, we start writing DO
then a string start and a string end.
DO
$do$
...
$do$;
Within the DO
we write BEGIN
and END
. Our sql and plpgsql functions live inside these. Below we will use the raise notice
command to output something to the screen.
DO
$do$
BEGIN
raise notice 'hi there';
END
$do$;
To declare variables we use a DECLARE
block before the BEGIN
block. Variables are assigned with :=
. Strings are surrounded with single quotation marks.
DO
$do$
DECLARE
name text := 'chris';
BEGIN
raise notice 'hi %', name;
END
$do$;