The pgsql function is compiled and wouldn't know how to handle a table name as a variable.

If you rewrite the SQL to use the 'EXECUTE' statement I think you could do this, something along the lines of (untested):

EXECUTE ''INSERT INTO '' || quote_ident(tmplist) || '' (SELECT * FROM links WHERE p=x)'';

Thanks. Yet, if I give the table name as the argument, I get the same error.

drop function traverse(integer, text);
create or replace function traverse (integer, text)
returns integer as
$$
  declare
    x int;
    tname alias for $2;
  begin
    x := $1;
    while x is not null loop
      select n into x from links where p = x;
      insert into tmplink (select * from links where p=x);
      EXECUTE ''INSERT INTO '' || quote_ident(tname) || '' (SELECT * FROM
        links WHERE  p=x)'';
    end loop;
    return 1 ;
  end;
$$
language plpgsql;

The above gives the following error. Please note that the first and second args are mixed up now. I tested it only on 8.0 (FC 4) and didn't on 8.1 and wonder whether it's a bug or I may be doing something wrong.

Using tname or $2 doesn't change the result.

========================================================================

# select traverse(0, 'links2');
ERROR:  syntax error at or near "INSERT" at character 11
QUERY: SELECT ''INSERT INTO '' || quote_ident( $1 ) || '' (SELECT * FROM links WHERE p= $2 )''
CONTEXT:  PL/pgSQL function "traverse" line 10 at execute statement
LINE 1: SELECT  ''INSERT INTO '' || quote_ident( $1 ) || '' (SELECT ...

========================================================================

Regards,

Ben K.
Developer
http://benix.tamu.edu

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