PostgreSQL 7.4 Documentation
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# SPI_exec

## Name

SPI_exec -- execute a command

## Synopsis

    int SPI_exec(const char * command, int count)

## Description

`SPI_exec` executes the specified SQL command for count rows.

This function should only be called from a connected procedure. If count is zero then it executes the command for all rows that it applies to. If count is greater than 0, then the number of rows for which the command will be executed is restricted (much like a LIMIT clause). For example,

    SPI_exec("INSERT INTO tab SELECT * FROM tab", 5);

will allow at most 5 rows to be inserted into the table.

You may pass multiple commands in one string, and the command may be rewritten by rules. `SPI_exec` returns the result for the command executed last.

The actual number of rows for which the (last) command was executed is returned in the global variable SPI_processed (unless the return value of the function is `SPI_OK_UTILITY`). If the return value of the function is `SPI_OK_SELECT` then you may the use global pointer SPITupleTable *SPI_tuptable to access the result rows.

The structure `SPITupleTable` is defined thus:

    typedef struct
    {
        MemoryContext tuptabcxt;    /* memory context of result table */
        uint32      alloced;        /* number of alloced vals */
        uint32      free;           /* number of free vals */
        TupleDesc   tupdesc;        /* row descriptor */
        HeapTuple  *vals;           /* rows */
    } SPITupleTable;

`vals` is an array of pointers to rows. (The number of valid entries is given by SPI_processed). `tupdesc` is a row descriptor which you may pass to SPI functions dealing with rows. `tuptabcxt`, `alloced`, and `free` are internal fields not intended for use by SPI callers.

`SPI_finish` frees all `SPITupleTable`s allocated during the current procedure. You can free a particular result table earlier, if you are done with it, by calling `SPI_freetuptable`.

## Arguments

const char * command

  string containing command to execute

int count

  maximum number of rows to process or return

## Return Value

If the execution of the command was successful then one of the following (nonnegative) values will be returned:

`SPI_OK_SELECT`

  if a `SELECT` (but not `SELECT ... INTO`) was executed

`SPI_OK_SELINTO`

  if a `SELECT ... INTO` was executed

`SPI_OK_DELETE`

  if a `DELETE` was executed

`SPI_OK_INSERT`

  if an `INSERT` was executed

`SPI_OK_UPDATE`

  if an `UPDATE` was executed

`SPI_OK_UTILITY`

  if a utility command (e.g., `CREATE TABLE`) was executed

On error, one of the following negative values is returned:

`SPI_ERROR_ARGUMENT`

  if command is `NULL` or count is less than 0

`SPI_ERROR_COPY`

  if `COPY TO stdout` or `COPY FROM stdin` was attempted

`SPI_ERROR_CURSOR`

  if `DECLARE`, `CLOSE`, or `FETCH` was attempted

`SPI_ERROR_TRANSACTION`

  if `BEGIN`, `COMMIT`, or `ROLLBACK` was attempted

`SPI_ERROR_OPUNKNOWN`

  if the command type is unknown (shouldn't happen)

`SPI_ERROR_UNCONNECTED`

  if called from an unconnected procedure

## Notes

The functions `SPI_exec`, `SPI_execp`, and `SPI_prepare` change both SPI_processed and SPI_tuptable (just the pointer, not the contents of the structure). Save these two global variables into local procedure variables if you need to access the result of `SPI_exec` or `SPI_execp` across later calls.

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