PostgreSQL error 22P02 invalid input syntax for integer - postgresql

Question

I keep getting the 22P02 error: invalid input syntax for integer: "{1,2,3}" (see comment in service call).
Here is my service call:
...
using (var command = new NpgsqlCommand("mediabase.create_media", connection))
{
command.CommandType = System.Data.CommandType.StoredProcedure;
command.Parameters.Add("title", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.title;
command.Parameters.Add("uniqueFilename", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.uniqueFilename;
command.Parameters.Add("description", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.description;
command.Parameters.Add("categoryIds", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.categoryIds; /* here the value is "1,2,3" */
command.Parameters.Add("typeId", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Integer).Value = media.typeId;
command.Parameters.Add("ownerId", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Integer).Value = media.ownerId;
command.Parameters.Add("statusId", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Integer).Value = media.statusId;
command.Parameters.Add("gpsLocation", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.gpsLocation;
command.Parameters.Add("locationNameId", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Integer).Value = media.locationId;
command.Parameters.Add("uploadUserId", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Integer).Value = media.uploadUserId;
command.Parameters.Add("uploadDate", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.uploadDate;
command.Parameters.Add("uploadIp", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.uploadIp;
command.Parameters.Add("metadataId", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Integer).Value = metadataId;
command.Parameters.Add("sysEnvironment", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.sysEnvironment;
command.Parameters.Add("languageId", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Integer).Value = media.languageId;
command.Parameters.Add("publicationIds", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.publicationIds;
command.Parameters.Add("limitations", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Varchar).Value = media.limitations;
mediaId = Convert.ToInt32(command.ExecuteScalar());
}
pgTransaction.Commit();
...
And the stored procedure:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION mediabase.create_media(
title character varying,
uniquefilename character varying,
description character varying,
categoryids character varying,
typeid integer,
ownerid integer,
statusid integer,
gpslocation character varying,
locationnameid integer,
uploaduserid integer,
uploaddate character varying,
uploadip character varying,
metadataid integer,
sysenvironment character varying,
languageid integer,
publicationids character varying,
limitations character varying)
RETURNS integer AS
$BODY$
declare _mediaId integer;
declare _point varchar;
declare _gps_location geometry;
declare _id text;
begin
IF (gpslocation <> '') THEN
_point = 'POINT(' || gpslocation || ')';
_gps_location = ST_Transform(ST_GeomFromText(_point, 4326), 900913);
ELSE
_gps_location = NULL;
END IF;
insert into mediabase.media (
title,
unique_filename,
description,
owner_id,
status_id,
gps_location,
type_id,
location_name_id,
upload_user_id,
upload_date,
upload_ip,
metadata_id,
system_environment,
language_id,
limitations)
values (
title,
uniqueFilename,
description,
ownerId,
statusId,
_gps_location,
typeId,
locationNameId,
uploadUserId,
uploadDate,
uploadIp,
metadataId,
sysEnvironment,
languageid,
limitations)
returning id into _mediaId;
-- insert category ids
FOR _id IN SELECT string_to_array (categoryids,',')
LOOP
INSERT into mediabase.media_categories (media_id, category_id)
values (_mediaId, (_id::int));
END LOOP;
-- insert publication ids
FOR _id IN SELECT string_to_array (publicationids,',')
LOOP
INSERT into mediabase.media_publications (media_id, publication_id)
values (_mediaId, (_id::int));
END LOOP;
return _mediaId;
end;
$BODY$
LANGUAGE plpgsql VOLATILE
COST 100;
As you can see in the service method, the input of parameter categoryids is the string "1,2,3", and the NpgsqlDbType is Varchar. And at the stored procedure the input type is character varying.
Here is the execution log:
2013-01-17 08:56:42 CET ERROR: invalid input syntax for integer: "{1,2,3}"
2013-01-17 08:56:42 CET CONTEXT: SQL statement "INSERT into mediabase.media_categories (media_id, category_id)
values (_mediaId, (_id::integer))"
PL/pgSQL function "create_media" line 54 at SQL statement
2013-01-17 08:56:42 CET STATEMENT: select * from mediabase.create_media(('Penguins')::varchar,('079117ec-676f-4022-9950-69e55c2a2600_Penguins.jpg')::varchar,('Description...')::varchar,('1,2,3')::varchar,(1)::int4,(1)::int4,(1)::int4,('')::varchar,(1)::int4,(1)::int4,('17/01/2013 08:56:42')::varchar,('::1')::varchar,(399)::int4,('dev')::varchar,(1)::int4,('1,2')::varchar,('Limitations...')::varchar)
Why is this error poping up?

Answer 1

I've solved the problem using #dezso and #CraigRinger tips. I'm now using an array of integers instead of comma seperated string. Here are the changes:
On the service call:
...
/* media.categoryIds is of type int[] now */
command.Parameters.Add("categoryIds", NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Array | NpgsqlTypes.NpgsqlDbType.Integer).Value = media.categoryIds;
...
On the stored procedure:
...
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION mediabase.create_media(
title character varying,
uniquefilename character varying,
description character varying,
categoryids integer[], -- changed type
typeid integer,
ownerid integer,
statusid integer,
gpslocation character varying,
locationnameid integer,
uploaduserid integer,
uploaddate character varying,
uploadip character varying,
metadataid integer,
sysenvironment character varying,
languageid integer,
publicationids integer[], -- changed type
limitations character varying)
...
...
declare i integer;
...
...
-- insert category ids
FOR i IN SELECT generate_subscripts( categoryids, 1 )
LOOP
INSERT into mediabase.media_categories (media_id, category_id)
values (_mediaId, categoryids[i]);
END LOOP;
-- insert publication ids
FOR i IN SELECT generate_subscripts( publicationids, 1 )
LOOP
INSERT into mediabase.media_publications (media_id, publication_id)
values (_mediaId, publicationids[i]);
END LOOP;
...
Thanks again for the help on this.