37.7. Control Structures

37.7.1.1. RETURN

RETURN expression;

RETURN with an expression terminates the function and returns the value of expression to the caller. This form is to be used for PL/pgSQL functions that do not return a set.

When returning a scalar type, any expression can be used. The expression's result will be automatically cast into the function's return type as described for assignments. To return a composite (row) value, you must write a record or row variable as the expression.

The return value of a function cannot be left undefined. If control reaches the end of the top-level block of the function without hitting a RETURN statement, a run-time error will occur.

If you have declared the function to return void, a RETURN statement must still be specified; but in this case the expression following RETURN is optional and will be ignored if present.

37.7.1.2. RETURN NEXT

RETURN NEXT expression;

When a PL/pgSQL function is declared to return SETOF sometype, the procedure to follow is slightly different. In that case, the individual items to return are specified in RETURN NEXT commands, and then a final RETURN command with no argument is used to indicate that the function has finished executing. RETURN NEXT can be used with both scalar and composite data types; in the latter case, an entire "table" of results will be returned.

Functions that use RETURN NEXT should be called in the following fashion:

SELECT * FROM some_func();

That is, the function is used as a table source in a FROM clause.

RETURN NEXT does not actually return from the function; it simply saves away the value of the expression (or record or row variable, as appropriate for the data type being returned). Execution then continues with the next statement in the PL/pgSQL function. As successive RETURN NEXT commands are executed, the result set is built up. A final RETURN, which should have no argument, causes control to exit the function.

37.7.2.1. IF-THEN

IF boolean-expression THEN
    statements
END IF;

IF-THEN statements are the simplest form of IF. The statements between THEN and END IF will be executed if the condition is true. Otherwise, they are skipped.

Example:

IF v_user_id <> 0 THEN
    UPDATE users SET email = v_email WHERE user_id = v_user_id;
END IF;

37.7.2.2. IF-THEN-ELSE

IF boolean-expression THEN
    statements
ELSE
    statements
END IF;

IF-THEN-ELSE statements add to IF-THEN by letting you specify an alternative set of statements that should be executed if the condition evaluates to false.

Examples:

IF parentid IS NULL OR parentid = ''''
THEN
    RETURN fullname;
ELSE
    RETURN hp_true_filename(parentid) || ''/'' || fullname;
END IF;

IF v_count > 0 THEN 
    INSERT INTO users_count (count) VALUES (v_count);
    RETURN ''t'';
ELSE
    RETURN ''f'';
END IF;

37.7.2.3. IF-THEN-ELSE IF

IF statements can be nested, as in the following example:

IF demo_row.sex = ''m'' THEN
    pretty_sex := ''man'';
ELSE
    IF demo_row.sex = ''f'' THEN
        pretty_sex := ''woman'';
    END IF;
END IF;

When you use this form, you are actually nesting an IF statement inside the ELSE part of an outer IF statement. Thus you need one END IF statement for each nested IF and one for the parent IF-ELSE. This is workable but grows tedious when there are many alternatives to be checked. Hence the next form.

37.7.2.4. IF-THEN-ELSIF-ELSE

IF boolean-expression THEN
    statements
[ ELSIF boolean-expression THEN
    statements
[ ELSIF boolean-expression THEN
    statements
    ...]]
[ ELSE
    statements ]
END IF;

IF-THEN-ELSIF-ELSE provides a more convenient method of checking many alternatives in one statement. Formally it is equivalent to nested IF-THEN-ELSE-IF-THEN commands, but only one END IF is needed.

Here is an example:

IF number = 0 THEN
    result := ''zero'';
ELSIF number > 0 THEN 
    result := ''positive'';
ELSIF number < 0 THEN
    result := ''negative'';
ELSE
    -- hmm, the only other possibility is that number is null
    result := ''NULL'';
END IF;

37.7.3.1. LOOP

[<<label>>]
LOOP
    statements
END LOOP;

LOOP defines an unconditional loop that is repeated indefinitely until terminated by an EXIT or RETURN statement. The optional label can be used by EXIT statements in nested loops to specify which level of nesting should be terminated.

37.7.3.2. EXIT

EXIT [ label ] [ WHEN expression ];

If no label is given, the innermost loop is terminated and the statement following END LOOP is executed next. If label is given, it must be the label of the current or some outer level of nested loop or block. Then the named loop or block is terminated and control continues with the statement after the loop's/block's corresponding END.

If WHEN is present, loop exit occurs only if the specified condition is true, otherwise control passes to the statement after EXIT.

Examples:

LOOP
    -- some computations
    IF count > 0 THEN
        EXIT;  -- exit loop
    END IF;
END LOOP;

LOOP
    -- some computations
    EXIT WHEN count > 0;  -- same result as previous example
END LOOP;

BEGIN
    -- some computations
    IF stocks > 100000 THEN
        EXIT;  -- invalid; cannot use EXIT outside of LOOP
    END IF;
END;

37.7.3.3. WHILE

[<<label>>]
WHILE expression LOOP
    statements
END LOOP;

The WHILE statement repeats a sequence of statements so long as the condition expression evaluates to true. The condition is checked just before each entry to the loop body.

For example:

WHILE amount_owed > 0 AND gift_certificate_balance > 0 LOOP
    -- some computations here
END LOOP;

WHILE NOT boolean_expression LOOP
    -- some computations here
END LOOP;

37.7.3.4. FOR (integer variant)

[<<label>>]
FOR name IN [ REVERSE ] expression .. expression LOOP
    statements
END LOOP;

This form of FOR creates a loop that iterates over a range of integer values. The variable name is automatically defined as type integer and exists only inside the loop. The two expressions giving the lower and upper bound of the range are evaluated once when entering the loop. The iteration step is normally 1, but is -1 when REVERSE is specified.

Some examples of integer FOR loops:

FOR i IN 1..10 LOOP
    -- some computations here
    RAISE NOTICE ''i is %'', i;
END LOOP;

FOR i IN REVERSE 10..1 LOOP
    -- some computations here
END LOOP;

If the lower bound is greater than the upper bound (or less than, in the REVERSE case), the loop body is not executed at all. No error is raised.