.. _function_dialog:

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`Function Dialog`:index:
************************

Use the *Function* dialog to define a function.  If you drop and then recreate
a function, the new function is not the same entity as the old; you must drop
existing rules, views, triggers, etc. that refer to the old function.

The *Function* dialog organizes the development of a function through the
following dialog tabs: *General*, *Definition*, *Code*, *Options*,
*Parameters*, and *Security*. The *SQL* tab displays the SQL code generated by
dialog selections.

.. image:: images/function_general.png
    :alt: Function dialog general tab
    :align: center

Use the fields in the *General* tab to identify a function:

* Use the *Name* field to add a descriptive name for the function. The name will
  be displayed in the *pgAdmin* tree control.
* Use the drop-down listbox next to *Owner* to select the name of the role that
  will own the function.
* Use the drop-down listbox next to *Schema* to select the schema in which the
  function will be created.
* Store notes about the function in the *Comment* field.

Click the *Definition* tab to continue.

.. image:: images/function_definition.png
    :alt: Function dialog definition tab
    :align: center

Use the fields in the *Definition* tab to define the function:

* Use the drop-down listbox next to *Return type* to select the data type
  returned by the function, if any.
* Use the drop-down listbox next to *Language* to select the implementation
  language. The default is *sql*.
* Use the fields in the *Arguments* to define an argument. Click the *Add*
  icon (+) to set parameters and values for the argument:

  * Use the drop-down listbox in the *Data type* field to select a data type.
  * Use the drop-down listbox in the *Mode* field to select a mode. Select *IN*
    for an input parameter; select *OUT* for an output parameter; select *INOUT*
    for both an input and an output parameter; or, select *VARIADIC* to specify a
    VARIADIC parameter.
  * Provide a name for the argument in the *Argument Name* field.
  * Specify a default value for the argument in the *Default Value* field.

Click the *Add* icon (+) to define another argument; to discard an argument,
click the trash icon to the left of the row and confirm deletion in the *Delete
Row* popup.

Click the *Code* tab to continue.

.. image:: images/function_code.png
    :alt: Function dialog code tab
    :align: center

* Use the *Code* field to write the code that will execute when the function
  is called.

Click the *Options* tab to continue.

.. image:: images/function_options.png
    :alt: Function dialog options tab
    :align: center

Use the fields in the *Options* tab to describe or modify the action of the
function:

* Use the drop-down listbox next to *Volatility* to select one of the following.
  *VOLATILE* is the default value.

    * *VOLATILE* indicates that the function value can change even within a
      single table scan, so no optimizations can be made.
    * *STABLE* indicates that the function cannot modify the database, and that
      within a single table scan it will consistently return the same result for
      the same argument values.
    * *IMMUTABLE* indicates that the function cannot modify the database and
      always returns the same result when given the same argument values.

* Move the *Returns a Set?* switch to indicate if the function returns a set
  that includes multiple rows. The default is *No*.
* Move the *Strict?* switch to indicate if the function always returns NULL
  whenever any of its arguments are NULL. If *Yes*, the function is not executed
  when there are NULL arguments; instead a NULL result is assumed
  automatically. The default is *No*.
* Move the *Security of definer?* switch to specify that the function is to be
  executed with the privileges of the user that created it. The default is *No*.
* Move the *Window?* switch to indicate that the function is a window function
  rather than a plain function. The default is *No*. This is currently only
  useful for functions written in C. The WINDOW attribute cannot be changed when
  replacing an existing function definition. For more information about the
  CREATE FUNCTION command, see the PostgreSQL core documentation available at:

   https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/functions-window.html

* Use the *Estimated cost* field to specify a positive number representing the
  estimated execution cost for the function, in units of cpu_operator_cost. If
  the function returns a set, this is the cost per returned row.
* Use the *Estimated rows* field to specify a positive number giving the
  estimated number of rows that the query planner should expect the function to
  return. This is only allowed when the function is declared to return a set.
  The default assumption is 1000 rows.
* Move the *Leak proof?* switch to indicate whether the function has side
  effects. The default is *No*. This option can only be set by the superuser.
* Use the *Support function* field to specify a planner support function to
  use for the function.

Click the *Parameters* tab to continue.

.. image:: images/function_parameters.png
    :alt: Function dialog parameters tab
    :align: center

Use the fields in the *Parameters* tab to specify settings that will be applied
when the function is invoked. Click the *Add* icon (+) to add a *Name*/*Value*
field in the table.

* Use the drop-down listbox in the *Name* column in the *Parameters* panel to
  select a parameter.
* Use the *Value* field to specify the value that will be associated with the
  selected variable. This field is context-sensitive.

Click the *Security* tab to continue.

.. image:: images/function_security.png
    :alt: Function dialog security tab
    :align: center

Use the *Security* tab to assign privileges and define security labels.

Use the *Privileges* panel to assign usage privileges for the function to a
role.

* Select the name of the role from the drop-down listbox in the *Grantee* field.
* Click inside the *Privileges* field. Check the boxes to the left of one or
  more privileges to grant the selected privilege to the specified user.
* The current user, who is the default grantor for granting the privilege, is displayed in the *Grantor* field.

Click the *Add* icon (+) to assign additional privileges; to discard a
privilege, click the trash icon to the left of the row and confirm deletion in
the *Delete Row* popup.

Use the *Security Labels* panel to define security labels applied to the
function. Click the *Add* icon (+) to add each security label selection:

* Specify a security label provider in the *Provider* field. The named provider
  must be loaded and must consent to the proposed labeling operation.
* Specify a a security label in the *Security Label* field. The meaning of a
  given label is at the discretion of the label provider. PostgreSQL places no
  restrictions on whether or how a label provider must interpret security
  labels; it merely provides a mechanism for storing them.

Click the *Add* icon (+) to assign additional security labels; to discard a
security label, click the trash icon to the left of the row and confirm deletion
in the *Delete Row* popup.

Click the *SQL* tab to continue.

Your entries in the *Function* dialog generate a generate a SQL command (see an
example below). Use the *SQL* tab for review; revisit or switch tabs to make any
changes to the SQL command.

Example
*******

The following is an example of the sql command generated by selections made in
the *Function* dialog:

.. image:: images/function_sql.png
    :alt: Function dialog sql tab
    :align: center

The example demonstrates creating an *plpgsql* function named *hire_salesmen*. The
function have three columns (p_ename, p_sal and p_comm).

* Click the *Info* button (i) to access online help.
* Click the *Save* button to save work.
* Click the *Close* button to exit without saving work.
* Click the *Reset* button to restore configuration parameters.
