Is current_user a function ?

[Masaru Sugawara]

Hi,

As for some current_*** functions, "select current_user;" seems to
work, but "select current_user();" doesn't . Though current_user is
defined as one of functions, why does such an error occur ?

renew=# select current_user();
ERROR: parser: parse error at or near "(" at character 20

Regards,
Masaru Sugawara

renew=# \df
List of functions
Result data type | Schema | Name | Argument data types
---------------------+------------+-----------------------+-----------
...
name | pg_catalog | current_database |
name | pg_catalog | current_schema |
name[] | pg_catalog | current_schemas | boolean
text | pg_catalog | current_setting | text
name | pg_catalog | current_user |
...

renew=# select current_user();
ERROR: parser: parse error at or near "(" at character 20

renew=# select current_database();
current_database
------------------
renew
(1 row)

renew=# select current_schema();
current_schema
----------------
public
(1 row)

renew=# select current_schema(true);
current_schemas
---------------------
{pg_catalog,postgres,public}
(1 row)

renew=# select current_schema(false);
current_schemas
---------------------
{postgres,public}
(1 row)

renew=# select current_setting('search_path');
current_setting
-----------------
$user,public
(1 row)

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[Rod Taylor]

Force the system to use it as a function.

select "current_user"();

--
Rod Taylor <r...@rbt.ca>

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[Tom Lane]

Masaru Sugawara <rk...@sea.plala.or.jp> writes:
> As for some current_*** functions, "select current_user;" seems to
> work, but "select current_user();" doesn't .

Complain to the SQL spec authors --- they mandated this peculiar keyword
syntax for what is really a function call.

regards, tom lane

[Masaru Sugawara]

On 28 Nov 2002 11:34:49 -0500
Rod Taylor <r...@rbt.ca> wrote:

> Force the system to use it as a function.
> select "current_user"();

On Thu, 28 Nov 2002 17:20:59 -0500
Tom Lane <t...@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote:

> > As for some current_*** functions, "select current_user;" seems to
> > work, but "select current_user();" doesn't .
>
> Complain to the SQL spec authors --- they mandated this peculiar keyword
> syntax for what is really a function call.

Since current_user() can be used in 7.2, I have thought it would work in 7.3 too.
I now understand it doesn't work any more -- as well, session_user(), user(),
current_date(), current_time(), current_timestamp() and etc.

Thank you, Rod and Tom.

Regards,
Masaru Sugawara

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