How to get a statement calling the function from inside the function itself? - postgresql

Question

Let's say I have a function show_files(IN file text, IN suffix text, OUT statement text). In next step the function is called:
SELECT * FROM show_files(file := 'example', suffix := '.png');
My question is: Is there any solution that I could get statement that has called this function from inside that function?
I mean, after running the SELECT the output of function (OUT statement text) should be: 'SELECT * FROM show_files(file := 'example', suffix := '.png');', or is it possible to assign this statement to the variable inside the function?
I need the functionality like those with TG_NAME, TG_OP, etc. in trigger procedures.
Maybe is it possible to retrieve this statement from SELECT current_query FROM pg_stat_activity ?
When I'm trying to use it inside a function I've got an empty record:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_snitch(text)
RETURNS text AS
$BODY$
declare
rr text;
BEGIN
RAISE NOTICE '.. from f_snitch.';
-- do stuff
SELECT current_query into rr FROM pg_stat_activity
WHERE current_query ilike 'f_snitch';
RETURN rr;
END
$BODY$
LANGUAGE plpgsql VOLATILE
COST 100;
Any help and suggestions would be happily welcome!

Answer 1

TG_NAME and friends are special variables that only exist for trigger functions. Regular plpgsql functions don't have anything like that. I am fresh out of ideas how you could possibly get this inside the called function in plpgsql.
You could add RAISE NOTICE to your function so you get the desired information
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_snitch(text)
RETURNS text LANGUAGE plpgsql AS
$func$
BEGIN
RAISE NOTICE '.. from f_snitch.';
-- do stuff
RETURN 'Snitch says hi!';
END
$func$;
Call:
SELECT f_snitch('foo')
In addition to the result, this returns a notice:
NOTICE: .. from f_snitch.
Fails to please in two respects:
Calling statement is not in the notice.
No CONTEXT in the notice.
For 1. you can use RAISE LOG instead (or set your cluster up to log NOTICES, too - which I usually don't, too verbose for me). With standard settings, you get an additional line with the STATEMENT in the database log:
LOG: .. from f_snitch.
STATEMENT: SELECT f_snitch('foo')
For 2., have a look at this related question at dba.SE. CONTEXT would look like:
CONTEXT: SQL statement "SELECT f_raise('LOG', 'My message')"
PL/pgSQL function "f_snitch" line 5 at PERFORM

Answer 2

Ok, I've got it!
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION f_snitch(text)
RETURNS setof record AS
$BODY$
BEGIN
RETURN QUERY
SELECT current_query
FROM pg_stat_activity
<strike>ORDER BY length(current_query) DESC LIMIT 1;</strike>
where current_query ilike 'select * from f_snitch%';
-- much more reliable solution
END
$BODY$
LANGUAGE plpgsql VOLATILE
COST 100;
select * from f_snitch('koper') AS (tt text);
And here is the result:
It's probably not 100% reliable solution but for small systems (for few users) it's quite ok.