Access dynamic column name of row type in trigger function

Question

I am trying to create a dynamic function to use for setting up triggers.

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION device_bid_modifiers_count_per()
  RETURNS TRIGGER AS
$$
  DECLARE
    devices_count INTEGER;
    table_name    regclass := TG_ARGV[0];
    column_name   VARCHAR  := TG_ARGV[1];
  BEGIN
    LOCK TABLE device_types IN EXCLUSIVE MODE;
    EXECUTE format('LOCK TABLE %s IN EXCLUSIVE MODE', table_name);

    SELECT INTO devices_count device_types_count();

    IF TG_OP = 'DELETE' THEN
      SELECT format(
        'PERFORM validate_bid_modifiers_count(%s, %s, OLD.%s, %s)',
        table_name,
        column_name,
        column_name,
        devices_count
      );
    ELSE
      SELECT format(
        'PERFORM validate_bid_modifiers_count(%s, %s, NEW.%s, %s)',
        table_name,
        column_name,
        column_name,
        devices_count
      );
    END IF;
    RETURN NEW;
  END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;

My issue is with the execution of the dynamic function validate_bid_modifiers_count(). Currently it throws:

ERROR:  query has no destination for result data
HINT:  If you want to discard the results of a SELECT, use PERFORM instead.
CONTEXT:  PL/pgSQL function device_bid_modifiers_count_per() line 21 at SQL statement

I can't really wrap my head around this. I understand that format() returns the correct string of function call with arguments. How do I fix this and make it work?

Answer 1

This should do it:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION device_bid_modifiers_count_per()
  RETURNS TRIGGER AS
$func$
DECLARE
   devices_count int      := device_types_count();
   table_name    regclass := TG_ARGV[0];
   column_name   text     := TG_ARGV[1];
BEGIN
   LOCK TABLE device_types IN EXCLUSIVE MODE;
   EXECUTE format('LOCK TABLE %s IN EXCLUSIVE MODE', table_name);

   IF TG_OP = 'DELETE' THEN
      PERFORM validate_bid_modifiers_count(table_name
                                         , column_name
                                         , (row_to_json(OLD) ->> column_name)::bigint
                                         , devices_count);
   ELSE
      PERFORM validate_bid_modifiers_count(table_name
                                         , column_name
                                         , (row_to_json(NEW) ->> column_name)::bigint
                                         , devices_count);
   END IF;

   RETURN NEW;
END
$func$  LANGUAGE plpgsql;

The immediate cause for the error message was the outer SELECT. Without target, you need to replace it with PERFORM in plpgsql. But the inner PERFORM in the query string passed to EXECUTE was wrong, too. PERFORM is a plpgsql command, not valid in an SQL string passed to EXECUTE, which expects SQL code. You have to use SELECT there. Finally OLD and NEW are not visible inside EXECUTE and would each raise an exception of their own the way you had it. All issues are fixed by dropping EXECUTE.

A simple and fast way to get the value of a dynamic column name from the row types OLD and NEW: cast to json, then you can parameterize the key name like demonstrated. Should be a bit simpler and faster than the alternative with dynamic SQL - which is possible as well, like:

  ...
  EXECUTE format('SELECT validate_bid_modifiers_count(table_name
                                                    , column_name
                                                    , ($1.%I)::bigint
                                                    , devices_count)', column_name)
  USING OLD;
  ...

Related:

• Get values from varying columns in a generic trigger
• Trigger with dynamic field name

Aside: Not sure why you need the heavy locks.

Aside 2: Consider writing a separate trigger function for each trigger instead. More noisy DDL, but simpler and faster to execute.

Answer 2

As I pointed out in the comment to Erwin Brandstetter's answer, initially I have an almost identical solution.

But issue was that I was getting the error

ERROR: record "new" has no field "column_name"
CONTEXT: SQL statement "SELECT validate_bid_modifiers_count(table_name, column_name, NEW.column_name, devices_count)"
PL/pgSQL function device_bid_modifiers_count_per() line 15 at PERFORM

This is why I thought I needed a way to dynamically evaluate things.

Currently got this working with the following still ugly looking to me solution (ugly because I don't like 2 IF statements, I would like it to be super dynamic, but maybe I am asking for too much):

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION device_bid_modifiers_count_per()
  RETURNS TRIGGER AS
$func$
  DECLARE
    row           RECORD;
    table_name    regclass := TG_ARGV[0];
    column_name   text := TG_ARGV[1];
    devices_count INTEGER;

  BEGIN
    LOCK TABLE device_types IN EXCLUSIVE MODE;
    EXECUTE format('LOCK TABLE %s IN EXCLUSIVE MODE', table_name);

    devices_count := device_types_count();

    IF TG_OP = 'DELETE' THEN
      row := OLD;
    ELSE
      row := NEW;
    END IF;

    IF column_name = 'campaign_id' THEN
      PERFORM validate_bid_modifiers_count(table_name, column_name, row.campaign_id, devices_count);
    ELSIF column_name = 'adgroup_id' THEN
      PERFORM validate_bid_modifiers_count(table_name, column_name, row.adgroup_id, devices_count);
    ELSE
      RAISE EXCEPTION 'invalid_column_name %', column_name;
    END IF;
    RETURN NEW;
  END;
$func$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;

I am open to more robust solution suggestions.

Basically, the second condition kind'a almost defeats the purpose of having a single function, I could have at this point as well split it into two functions. Because the goal is to define multiple (2) triggers using this function (providing arguments to it).