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32.8. pgtypes library

The pgtypes library maps PostgreSQL database types to C equivalents that can be used in C programs. It also offers functions to do basic calculations with those types within C, i.e., without the help of the PostgreSQL server. See the following example:

EXEC SQL BEGIN DECLARE SECTION;
   date date1;
   timestamp ts1, tsout;
   interval iv1;
   char *out;
EXEC SQL END DECLARE SECTION;

PGTYPESdate_today(&date1);
EXEC SQL SELECT started, duration INTO :ts1, :iv1 FROM datetbl WHERE d=:date1;
PGTYPEStimestamp_add_interval(&ts1, &iv1, &tsout);
out = PGTYPEStimestamp_to_asc(&tsout);
printf("Started + duration: %s\n", out);
free(out);

32.8.1. The numeric type

The numeric type offers to do calculations with arbitrary precision. See Section 8.1 for the equivalent type in the PostgreSQL server. Because of the arbitrary precision this variable needs to be able to expand and shrink dynamically. That's why you can only create variables on the heap by means of the PGTYPESnumeric_new and PGTYPESnumeric_free functions. The decimal type, which is similar but limited in the precision, can be created on the stack as well as on the heap.

The following functions can be used to work with the numeric type:

PGTYPESnumeric_new

Request a pointer to a newly allocated numeric variable.

numeric *PGTYPESnumeric_new(void);
PGTYPESnumeric_free

Free a numeric type, release all of its memory.

void PGTYPESnumeric_free(numeric *var);
PGTYPESnumeric_from_asc

Parse a numeric type from its string notation.

numeric *PGTYPESnumeric_from_asc(char *str, char **endptr);

Valid formats are for example: -2, .794, +3.44, 592.49E07 or -32.84e-4. If the value could be parsed successfully, a valid pointer is returned, else the NULL pointer. At the moment ecpg always parses the complete string and so it currently does not support to store the address of the first invalid character in *endptr. You can safely set endptr to NULL.

PGTYPESnumeric_to_asc

Returns a pointer to a string allocated by malloc that contains the string representation of the numeric type num.

char *PGTYPESnumeric_to_asc(numeric *num, int dscale);

The numeric value will be printed with dscale decimal digits, with rounding applied if necessary.

PGTYPESnumeric_add

Add two numeric variables into a third one.

int PGTYPESnumeric_add(numeric *var1, numeric *var2, numeric *result);

The function adds the variables var1 and var2 into the result variable result. The function returns 0 on success and -1 in case of error.

PGTYPESnumeric_sub

Subtract two numeric variables and return the result in a third one.

int PGTYPESnumeric_sub(numeric *var1, numeric *var2, numeric *result);

The function subtracts the variable var2 from the variable var1. The result of the operation is stored in the variable result. The function returns 0 on success and -1 in case of error.

PGTYPESnumeric_mul

Multiply two numeric variables and return the result in a third one.

int PGTYPESnumeric_mul(numeric *var1, numeric *var2, numeric *result);

The function multiplies the variables var1 and var2. The result of the operation is stored in the variable result. The function returns 0 on success and -1 in case of error.

PGTYPESnumeric_div

Divide two numeric variables and return the result in a third one.

int PGTYPESnumeric_div(numeric *var1, numeric *var2, numeric *result);

The function divides the variables var1 by var2. The result of the operation is stored in the variable result. The function returns 0 on success and -1 in case of error.

PGTYPESnumeric_cmp

Compare two numeric variables.

int PGTYPESnumeric_cmp(numeric *var1, numeric *var2)

This function compares two numeric variables. In case of error, INT_MAX is returned. On success, the function returns one of three possible results:

  • 1, if var1 is bigger than var2

  • -1, if var1 is smaller than var2

  • 0, if var1 and var2 are equal

PGTYPESnumeric_from_int

Convert an int variable to a numeric variable.

int PGTYPESnumeric_from_int(signed int int_val, numeric *var);

This function accepts a variable of type signed int and stores it in the numeric variable var. Upon success, 0 is returned and -1 in case of a failure.

PGTYPESnumeric_from_long

Convert a long int variable to a numeric variable.

int PGTYPESnumeric_from_long(signed long int long_val, numeric *var);

This function accepts a variable of type signed long int and stores it in the numeric variable var. Upon success, 0 is returned and -1 in case of a failure.

PGTYPESnumeric_copy

Copy over one numeric variable into another one.

int PGTYPESnumeric_copy(numeric *src, numeric *dst);

This function copies over the value of the variable that src points to into the variable that dst points to. It returns 0 on success and -1 if an error occurs.

PGTYPESnumeric_from_double

Convert a variable of type double to a numeric.

int  PGTYPESnumeric_from_double(double d, numeric *dst);

This function accepts a variable of type double and stores the result in the variable that dst points to. It returns 0 on success and -1 if an error occurs.

PGTYPESnumeric_to_double

Convert a variable of type numeric to double.

int PGTYPESnumeric_to_double(numeric *nv, double *dp)

The function converts the numeric value from the variable that nv points to into the double variable that dp points to. It returns 0 on success and -1 if an error occurs, including overflow. On overflow, the global variable errno will be set to PGTYPES_NUM_OVERFLOW additionally.

PGTYPESnumeric_to_int

Convert a variable of type numeric to int.

int PGTYPESnumeric_to_int(numeric *nv, int *ip);

The function converts the numeric value from the variable that nv points to into the integer variable that ip points to. It returns 0 on success and -1 if an error occurs, including overflow. On overflow, the global variable errno will be set to PGTYPES_NUM_OVERFLOW additionally.

PGTYPESnumeric_to_long

Convert a variable of type numeric to long.

int PGTYPESnumeric_to_long(numeric *nv, long *lp);

The function converts the numeric value from the variable that nv points to into the long integer variable that lp points to. It returns 0 on success and -1 if an error occurs, including overflow. On overflow, the global variable errno will be set to PGTYPES_NUM_OVERFLOW additionally.

PGTYPESnumeric_to_decimal

Convert a variable of type numeric to decimal.

int PGTYPESnumeric_to_decimal(numeric *src, decimal *dst);

The function converts the numeric value from the variable that src points to into the decimal variable that dst points to. It returns 0 on success and -1 if an error occurs, including overflow. On overflow, the global variable errno will be set to PGTYPES_NUM_OVERFLOW additionally.

PGTYPESnumeric_from_decimal

Convert a variable of type decimal to numeric.

int PGTYPESnumeric_from_decimal(decimal *src, numeric *dst);

The function converts the decimal value from the variable that src points to into the numeric variable that dst points to. It returns 0 on success and -1 if an error occurs. Since the decimal type is implemented as a limited version of the numeric type, overflow cannot occur with this conversion.

32.8.2. The date type

The date type in C enables your programs to deal with data of the SQL type date. See Section 8.5 for the equivalent type in the PostgreSQL server.

The following functions can be used to work with the date type:

PGTYPESdate_from_timestamp

Extract the date part from a timestamp.

date PGTYPESdate_from_timestamp(timestamp dt);

The function receives a timestamp as its only argument and returns the extracted date part from this timestamp.

PGTYPESdate_from_asc

Parse a date from its textual representation.

date PGTYPESdate_from_asc(char *str, char **endptr);

The function receives a C char* string str and a pointer to a C char* string endptr. At the moment ecpg always parses the complete string and so it currently does not support to store the address of the first invalid character in *endptr. You can safely set endptr to NULL.

Note that the function always assumes MDY-formatted dates and there is currently no variable to change that within ecpg.

Table 32-1 shows the allowed input formats.