pg_proc#

The pg_proc system catalog table stores information about functions (or procedures), both built-in functions and those defined by CREATE FUNCTION. The table contains data for aggregate and window functions as well as plain functions. If proisagg is true, there should be a matching row in pg_aggregate. If proiswin is true, there should be a matching row in pg_window.

For compiled functions, both built-in and dynamically loaded, prosrc contains the function’s C-language name (link symbol). For all other currently-known language types, prosrc contains the function’s source text. probin is unused except for dynamically-loaded C functions, for which it gives the name of the shared library file containing the function.

Table 1. pg_catalog.pg_proc

column

type

references

description

proname

name

Name of the function.

pronamespace

oid

pg_namespace.oid

The OID of the namespace that contains this function.

proowner

oid

pg_authid.oid

Owner of the function.

prolang

oid

pg_language.oid

Implementation language or call interface of this function.

proisagg

boolean

Function is an aggregate function.

prosecdef

boolean

Function is a security definer (for example, a ‘setuid’ function).

proisstrict

boolean

Function returns NULL if any call argument is NULL. In that case the function will not actually be called at all. Functions that are not strict must be prepared to handle NULL inputs.

proretset

boolean

Function returns a set (multiple values of the specified data type).

provolatile

char

Tells whether the function’s result depends only on its input arguments, or is affected by outside factors. i = immutable (always delivers the same result for the same inputs), s = stable (results (for fixed inputs) do not change within a scan), or v = volatile (results may change at any time or functions with side-effects).

pronargs

smallint

Number of arguments.

prorettype

oid

pg_type.oid

Data type of the return value.

proiswin

boolean

Function is neither an aggregate nor a scalar function, but a pure window function.

proargtypes

oidvector

pg_type.oid

An array with the data types of the function arguments. This includes only input arguments (including INOUT arguments), and thus represents the call signature of the function.

proallargtypes

oid[]

pg_type.oid

An array with the data types of the function arguments. This includes all arguments (including OUT and INOUT arguments); however, if all the arguments are IN arguments, this field will be null. Note that subscripting is 1-based, whereas for historical reasons proargtypes is subscripted from 0.

proargmodes

char[]

An array with the modes of the function arguments: i = IN, o = OUT , b = INOUT. If all the arguments are IN arguments, this field will be null. Note that subscripts correspond to positions of proallargtypes not proargtypes.

proargnames

text[]

An array with the names of the function arguments. Arguments without a name are set to empty strings in the array. If none of the arguments have a name, this field will be null. Note that subscripts correspond to positions of proallargtypes not proargtypes.

prosrc

text

This tells the function handler how to invoke the function. It might be the actual source code of the function for interpreted languages, a link symbol, a file name, or just about anything else, depending on the implementation language/call convention.

probin

bytea

Additional information about how to invoke the function. Again, the interpretation is language-specific.

proacl

aclitem[]

Access privileges for the function as given by GRANT/REVOKE.

prodataaccess

char