Skip to content

plpgsql

PL/pgSQL procedural language

plpgsql : PL/pgSQL procedural language

Overview

ID Extension Package Version Category License Language
3280 plpgsql plpgsql 1.0 LANG PostgreSQL C
Attribute Has Binary Has Library Need Load Has DDL Relocatable Trusted
--s-dt- No Yes No Yes no yes
Relationships
Schemas pg_catalog
Need By bedquilt biscuit cat_tools check_orapg currency data_historization db2fce dbpatch dbstat ddl_historization drop_role_helper dsef event_manager explanation firefly geekspeak generic_plan gogudb grants_manager hello-world hybrid_search index_analyzer istoria italian_codes job_queue json_query json_utils jsonb_schema jx_io keyhippo kilobase kissfft lab-orders launchql-base32 launchql-ext-types launchql-extension-utils launchql-extension-verify launchql-inflection launchql-jwt-claims launchql-stamps launchql-totp livewire medications merge_ips meta_triggers migration monitoring_role mv_rewrite mv_stats myhelper mypg_sharding mysqlcompat newsfeeds nfiesta_gisdata nfiesta_sdesign nfiesta_target_data nonoms norm npm ollama omnidb_plpgsql_debugger partman_to_cstore pase pathman_sharding patients pg-audit-json pg2podg pg4ml pgAutomator pg_abris pg_accumulator pg_audit pg_audit_tools pg_biscuit pg_bleve pg_bm25 pg_cache_tree pg_calcpi pg_catalog_get_defs pg_column_tetris pg_credereum pg_datatype_password pg_dbo_timestamp pg_dbwa pg_dms pg_drop_events pg_dropbuffers pg_dropcache pg_eyes pg_fairmlq pg_fsql pg_gen_uid pg_git pg_graphql_server pg_gsl pg_idm pg_idx_advisor pg_lake_iceberg pg_landmetrics pg_ledger pg_linegazer pg_llm_helper pg_lock_pool pg_message_queue pg_monitoring pg_normalize_email pg_once pg_os pg_osgr pg_pageprep pg_part pg_particulous pg_partman pg_pathman pg_paxos pg_popyramids_datamarts pg_profile pg_prometheus pg_prttn_tools pg_reversi pg_sakila_db pg_semantic_cache pg_sendmail pg_sentence_transformer pg_sessions pg_shardman pg_statviz pg_tileless pg_tms pg_turboquant pg_twkb pg_upless pg_zlog pgaut pgcat pgeyes pgfsm pgh_consistency pgh_hgm pgh_output pgh_output_en_au pgh_output_pt_br pgh_raster pghydro pgmemento pgmock pgnats pgparts pgpm-base32 pgpm-defaults pgpm-faker pgpm-inflection pgpm-jwt-claims pgpm-measurements pgpm-types pgpm-verify pgrao pgrollup pgrouting pgsqlmock pgtap pgtap_fixture pgtelemetry pgvroom plparrot plpgsql_check plpgsql_wrap plrust postgres_ci postpic powa prescriptions qgres quria range_partitioning recall recursively_delete rep_fdw rls_helpers roleman rpg rtiles scheduling session_variables short_ids skitch-extension-defaults skitch-extension-jobs skitch-extension-utils skitch-extension-verify sphinxlink sql_saga supa_queue supabase supabase_auth_apikey sys_syn_dblink tab_tier table_log_pl table_version tablelog telephone test_factory time_for_keys timestampandtz town types unit units us-states uuidv7-sql variant vectors vrprouting wasm webauthn xl_global_views zombodb
See Also plx plisql plpgsql_check pldbgapi plpgsql_wrap orafce plprofiler plsh pljava pglinter

Packages

PG18 PG17 PG16 PG15 PG14
1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
This is a built-in contrib extension ship with the PostgreSQL kernel

Install

Create this extension with:

CREATE EXTENSION plpgsql;

Usage

plpgsql: PL/pgSQL procedural language

PL/pgSQL is PostgreSQL’s default procedural language. It extends SQL with control structures, variables, cursors, and exception handling.

CREATE EXTENSION plpgsql;  -- installed by default

-- Basic function with variables and control flow
CREATE FUNCTION calculate_discount(price numeric, quantity integer) RETURNS numeric
LANGUAGE plpgsql AS $$
DECLARE
  discount numeric := 0;
BEGIN
  IF quantity >= 100 THEN
    discount := 0.20;
  ELSIF quantity >= 50 THEN
    discount := 0.10;
  ELSIF quantity >= 10 THEN
    discount := 0.05;
  END IF;
  RETURN price * quantity * (1 - discount);
END;
$$;

-- Loop and set-returning function
CREATE FUNCTION fibonacci(n integer) RETURNS SETOF integer
LANGUAGE plpgsql AS $$
DECLARE
  a integer := 0;
  b integer := 1;
  tmp integer;
BEGIN
  FOR i IN 1..n LOOP
    RETURN NEXT a;
    tmp := a + b;
    a := b;
    b := tmp;
  END LOOP;
END;
$$;

SELECT * FROM fibonacci(10);

-- Exception handling
CREATE FUNCTION safe_divide(a numeric, b numeric) RETURNS numeric
LANGUAGE plpgsql AS $$
BEGIN
  RETURN a / b;
EXCEPTION
  WHEN division_by_zero THEN
    RAISE NOTICE 'Division by zero, returning NULL';
    RETURN NULL;
END;
$$;

-- Trigger function
CREATE FUNCTION update_modified_column() RETURNS trigger
LANGUAGE plpgsql AS $$
BEGIN
  NEW.modified_at = now();
  RETURN NEW;
END;
$$;

CREATE TRIGGER set_modified
  BEFORE UPDATE ON my_table
  FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE FUNCTION update_modified_column();

-- Procedure with transaction control (PG 11+)
CREATE PROCEDURE batch_archive(batch_size integer)
LANGUAGE plpgsql AS $$
DECLARE
  rows_moved integer;
BEGIN
  LOOP
    WITH moved AS (
      DELETE FROM orders WHERE status = 'completed'
      RETURNING *
    )
    INSERT INTO orders_archive SELECT * FROM moved;

    GET DIAGNOSTICS rows_moved = ROW_COUNT;
    COMMIT;
    EXIT WHEN rows_moved < batch_size;
  END LOOP;
END;
$$;