Simon Riggs wrote:
I'm using the nvl() function from the orafce package. It is defined as a
polymorphic function so its function signature is
nvl(anyelement, anyelement)
Now if I try to use the function in this very typical way
nvl(numeric_col, 0)
we get
ERROR: function nvl(numeric, integer) does not exist
The same error occurs if we have nvl(smallint, integer) etc
This is a real shame 'cos polymorphic functions ought to be a great way
of saving development time and catalog space, yet they seem to fall down
a hole without implicit casting.
What I'd like it to do is to recognise that the 0 should be cast
implicitly to another datatype within the same family. I want and expect
nvl(char_column, 0)
to fail, but I expect the various numeric/integer types we have to play
nicely together without tears.
So, it would be analogous to the 'unknown' type, but for numeric
literals instead of text literals. Seems reasonable. It still wouldn't
allow nvl(1::bigint, 2::int4), though, just as the unknown type doesn't
help with nvl('foo'::text, 'bar'::varchar).
If we can do it for indexes, can we do it for polymorphic functions also
when there is no matching function?
Umm, what do indexes have to do with this?
--
Heikki Linnakangas
EnterpriseDB http://www.enterprisedb.com
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