Raj Gandhi wrote > I'm trying to use format() function with string_agg with Postgres 9.1.9 > but > getting error - "too few arguments for format" > > I have two tables t_message and t_message_args. Table t_message has > 'message' column with text in the format 'Test message first arg is %1$s > and second arg %2$s end-of-message' > > id | integer | > message | character varying | > > > And the second table t_message_args contains message argument and values > id | integer | > arg | integer | > argvalue | character varying | > > > Here is the SQL that uses format() function to retrieve formatted message > by replacing arg value in the message: > = > select m.id, format(m.message, string_agg(a.argvalue, ',' order by a.arg) > from t_message m, t_message_args a > where m.id = a.id > group by m.id, m.message > > > ERROR: too few arguments for format > > ********** Error ********** > > ERROR: too few arguments for format > SQL state: 22023 format('%s %s', '1', '2'); --works format('%s %s, array['1','2']) -- doesn't work http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.3/interactive/xfunc-sql.html (arguably this is not SQL language specific and should be relocated to a more generic part of the documentation...) > You can't actually write that, though — or at least, it will not match > this function definition. A parameter marked VARIADIC matches one or more > occurrences of its element type, not of its own type. > > Sometimes it is useful to be able to pass an already-constructed array to > a variadic function; this is particularly handy when one variadic function > wants to pass on its array parameter to another one. You can do that by > specifying VARIADIC in the call: select format('%s %s', VARIADIC array_agg(val)) from (values ('1'),('2')) src (val) -- works Note the use of array_agg(); string_agg() returns text, not an array, so its not going to be of use here - unless you want to build up the specifier portion on the fly too: select format(string_agg(fmt_prt, ';'), array_agg(val)) from (values ('%s','1'),('%s','2')) src (fmt_prt, val) --works David J. -- View this message in context: http://postgresql.1045698.n5.nabble.com/format-function-with-string-agg-tp5820247p5820251.html Sent from the PostgreSQL - admin mailing list archive at Nabble.com. -- Sent via pgsql-admin mailing list (pgsql-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-admin