postgresql/doc/src/sgml/ref/call.sgml

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<!--
doc/src/sgml/ref/call.sgml
PostgreSQL documentation
-->
<refentry id="sql-call">
<indexterm zone="sql-call">
<primary>CALL</primary>
</indexterm>
<refmeta>
<refentrytitle>CALL</refentrytitle>
<manvolnum>7</manvolnum>
<refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
<refname>CALL</refname>
<refpurpose>invoke a procedure</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>
<refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
CALL <replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable> ( [ <replaceable class="parameter">argument</replaceable> ] [, ...] )
</synopsis>
</refsynopsisdiv>
<refsect1>
<title>Description</title>
<para>
<command>CALL</command> executes a procedure.
</para>
<para>
If the procedure has any output parameters, then a result row will be
returned, containing the values of those parameters.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Parameters</title>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
The name (optionally schema-qualified) of the procedure.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><replaceable class="parameter">argument</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
An argument expression for the procedure call.
</para>
<para>
Arguments can include parameter names, using the syntax
<literal><replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable> =&gt; <replaceable class="parameter">value</replaceable></literal>.
This works the same as in ordinary function calls; see
<xref linkend="sql-syntax-calling-funcs"/> for details.
</para>
<para>
Arguments must be supplied for all procedure parameters that lack
defaults, including <literal>OUT</literal> parameters. However,
arguments matching <literal>OUT</literal> parameters are not evaluated,
so it's customary to just write <literal>NULL</literal> for them.
(Writing something else for an <literal>OUT</literal> parameter
might cause compatibility problems with
future <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> versions.)
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Notes</title>
<para>
The user must have <literal>EXECUTE</literal> privilege on the procedure in
order to be allowed to invoke it.
</para>
<para>
To call a function (not a procedure), use <command>SELECT</command> instead.
</para>
<para>
If <command>CALL</command> is executed in a transaction block, then the
called procedure cannot execute transaction control statements.
Transaction control statements are only allowed if <command>CALL</command>
is executed in its own transaction.
</para>
<para>
<application>PL/pgSQL</application> handles output parameters
in <command>CALL</command> commands differently;
see <xref linkend="plpgsql-statements-calling-procedure"/>.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Examples</title>
<programlisting>
CALL do_db_maintenance();
</programlisting>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Compatibility</title>
<para>
<command>CALL</command> conforms to the SQL standard,
except for the handling of output parameters. The standard
says that users should write variables to receive the values
of output parameters.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>See Also</title>
<simplelist type="inline">
<member><xref linkend="sql-createprocedure"/></member>
</simplelist>
</refsect1>
</refentry>