postgresqlHow can I use a PostgreSQL function to return a table?

You can use the RETURNS TABLE syntax in PostgreSQL to return a table. This syntax is used to define a function that returns a set of rows, which can be used as a table.

For example:

CREATE FUNCTION get_employees()
  RETURNS TABLE(id INTEGER, name TEXT)
AS $$
  SELECT id, name FROM employees;
$$ LANGUAGE SQL;

This function will return a table with two columns id and name, which can be used as a table.

To use the table, you can call the function in a SELECT statement:

SELECT * FROM get_employees();

This will return the following output:

 id |  name
----+---------
  1 | John
  2 | Jane
  3 | Bob
(3 rows)

The RETURNS TABLE syntax in PostgreSQL can be used to define a function that returns a set of rows, which can be used as a table. The table can then be used in a SELECT statement to return the data.

List of code parts with detailed explanation

• CREATE FUNCTION get_employees() - This statement creates a function named get_employees.
• RETURNS TABLE(id INTEGER, name TEXT) - This statement defines the function to return a table with two columns id and name.
• SELECT id, name FROM employees; - This statement is used to retrieve the data from the employees table.
• SELECT * FROM get_employees(); - This statement is used to call the function and return the data.

List of relevant links

• PostgreSQL Documentation - RETURNS TABLE

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