PostgreSQL · RetrieveMultiple

Read a function that returns a table

A function that returns a table, read like a table, in three scenarios: with a named argument; filtered, ordered and paged on top; and with a positional argument. Function reads run read-only: a function that writes is refused unless the source says AllowWrites().

Set up for this page

The scenarios build on the sample application: SampleContext.cs (the dbContext every sample is given); SampleOutput.cs (Step and Show, which print); SampleContext.Application.cs (dbContext.Service, the application's ARX service); SampleCatalog.cs (the tables' ids, keys, lookups and display names).

Before scenario 1 the sample runs this, so the service and the rows the scenarios use are there:

Set up
var account = new ArxEntity("account");
account["name"] = "Function Foods";
account["account_number"] = "ACC-R671";
var accountId = await service.CreateAsync(account);
foreach (var first in new[] { "Fay", "Finn", "Flo", "Fred" })
{
    var contact = new ArxEntity("contact");
    contact["first_name"] = first;
    contact["last_name"] = "Func-R671";
    contact["email"] = $"{first.ToLowerInvariant()}.r671@example.com";
    contact["account_id"] = new ArxEntityReference("account", accountId);
    await service.CreateAsync(contact);
}

1 A named argument

fn_contacts_of_account(p_account_id => …): the argument is a typed parameter.

Already in scope: service (ArxPgDbService), accountId (ArxRecordId)

C#
var query = new ArxQueryExpression(ArxRowSource.Function("fn_contacts_of_account", ("p_account_id", accountId.AsInt64())));
query.AddOrder("first_name", ArxOrderType.Ascending);

var rows = await service.RetrieveMultipleAsync(query);
Console.WriteLine(string.Join(", ", rows.Entities.Select(x => x["first_name"])));

Check it in the database

SQL

Run it in any SQL tool connected to the database, after the code has run.

SELECT f.first_name
FROM account a, fn_contacts_of_account(a.id) f
WHERE a.account_number = 'ACC-R671'
ORDER BY f.first_name;

Expect: 4 rows, Fay, Finn, Flo, Fred.

2 Filtered, ordered and paged

Criteria, order and paging on top of the function, as on a table.

Already in scope: service (ArxPgDbService), accountId (ArxRecordId)

C#
var query = new ArxQueryExpression(ArxRowSource.Function("fn_contacts_of_account", ("p_account_id", accountId.AsInt64())));
query.Criteria.AddCondition("first_name", ArxConditionOperator.BeginsWith, "F");
query.Criteria.AddCondition("first_name", ArxConditionOperator.NotEqual, "Flo");
query.AddOrder("first_name", ArxOrderType.Descending);
query.PageInfo = new ArxPagingInfo { Count = 2, ReturnTotalRecordCount = true };

var page = await service.RetrieveMultipleAsync(query);
Console.WriteLine($"{string.Join(", ", page.Entities.Select(x => x["first_name"]))} (page 1 of {page.TotalPageCount}, {page.TotalRecordCount} in all)");

Check it in the database

SQL

Run it in any SQL tool connected to the database, after the code has run.

SELECT f.first_name
FROM account a, fn_contacts_of_account(a.id) f
WHERE a.account_number = 'ACC-R671' AND f.first_name <> 'Flo'
ORDER BY f.first_name DESC
LIMIT 2;

Expect: 2 rows, Fred, Finn (3 in all).

3 A positional argument

The same function with its argument by position.

Already in scope: service (ArxPgDbService), accountId (ArxRecordId)

C#
var rows = await service.RetrieveMultipleAsync(new ArxQueryExpression(ArxRowSource.Function("fn_contacts_of_account", accountId.AsInt64())));
Console.WriteLine($"{rows.Entities.Count} contacts");

Check it in the database

SQL

Run it in any SQL tool connected to the database, after the code has run.

SELECT count(*)
FROM contact c
JOIN account a ON a.id = c.account_id
WHERE a.account_number = 'ACC-R671';

Expect: 4.

Run the complete sample

The code above comes from one program, built in a fresh project and run against the database. To run it yourself, here is every file and step.

The program, its files and how to run it

Run it locally

  1. .NET SDK: .NET SDK 10.0.100 or later 10.0.x (target net10.0).
  2. Create the project:
    Terminal
    dotnet new console -n ArxSample -f net10.0
    cd ArxSample
  3. Install the packages:
    Terminal
    dotnet add package ARX.SDK.PostgreSql --version 1.0.0-rc.1
  4. Database: a PostgreSQL 16 (tested with 16.15) database with the sample schema.
  5. Configuration: set ARX_SAMPLES_POSTGRESQL to its connection string. Nothing is hard-coded.
  6. Source code: add the files of the sample application this sample uses (SampleContext.cs, SampleOutput.cs, SampleContext.Application.cs, SampleCatalog.cs), then replace Program.cs and add the other file below, with the file names shown.
  7. Run it:
    Terminal
    dotnet run
  8. Expected output: below.

The files

Program.cs

Runs the sample. Generated for this page; it reads the connection string from the environment.

using ArxSamples.PostgreSql;
using ArxSamples.PostgreSql.Operations.RetrieveMultiple.RealCases;

// The connection string comes from the environment, never from the code (see "Configure the connection").
var connectionString = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ARX_SAMPLES_POSTGRESQL")
    ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Set the ARX_SAMPLES_POSTGRESQL environment variable to your PostgreSQL connection string.");

await new RealCase6_ReadAFunction().RunAsync(new SampleContext(connectionString));
RealCase6_ReadAFunction.cs

The sample, as it is in the repository.

using ARX.SDK.Query;
using ARX.SDK.Services;
using static ArxSamples.PostgreSql.SampleOutput;

namespace ArxSamples.PostgreSql.Operations.RetrieveMultiple.RealCases;

/// <summary>
/// A function that returns a table, read like a table, in three scenarios: with a named argument; filtered,
/// ordered and paged on top; and with a positional argument. Function reads run read-only: a function that writes
/// is refused unless the source says <c>AllowWrites()</c>.
/// </summary>
public sealed class RealCase6_ReadAFunction : ISample
{
    public string Name => "retrieve-multiple-real-6-read-a-function";

    public string Title => "Read a function that returns a table";

    public async Task RunAsync(SampleContext dbContext)
    {
        var account = new ArxEntity("account");
        account["name"] = "Function Foods";
        account["account_number"] = "ACC-R671";
        var accountId = await dbContext.Service.CreateAsync(account);

        foreach (var first in new[] { "Fay", "Finn", "Flo", "Fred" })
        {
            var contact = new ArxEntity("contact");
            contact["first_name"] = first;
            contact["last_name"] = "Func-R671";
            contact["email"] = $"{first.ToLowerInvariant()}.r671@example.com";
            contact["account_id"] = new ArxEntityReference("account", accountId);
            await dbContext.Service.CreateAsync(contact);
        }

        await Scenario1_ANamedArgumentAsync(dbContext, accountId);

        await Scenario2_FilteredOrderedPagedAsync(dbContext, accountId);

        await Scenario3_APositionalArgumentAsync(dbContext, accountId);
    }

    /// <summary>1. fn_contacts_of_account(p_account_id => …): the argument is a typed parameter.</summary>
    private static async Task Scenario1_ANamedArgumentAsync(SampleContext dbContext, ArxRecordId accountId)
    {
        Step("1. A named argument");

        var query = new ArxQueryExpression(ArxRowSource.Function("fn_contacts_of_account", ("p_account_id", accountId.AsInt64())));
        query.AddOrder("first_name", ArxOrderType.Ascending);

        var rows = await dbContext.Service.RetrieveMultipleAsync(query);
        Show(string.Join(", ", rows.Entities.Select(x => x["first_name"])));

        /* ===========================================================
         * [DIRECT QUERY CHECK]
         * -----------------------------------------------------------
         * SELECT f.first_name
         * FROM account a, fn_contacts_of_account(a.id) f
         * WHERE a.account_number = 'ACC-R671'
         * ORDER BY f.first_name;
         * -- Expect: 4 rows, Fay, Finn, Flo, Fred.
         * ===========================================================
         */
    }

    /// <summary>2. Criteria, order and paging on top of the function, as on a table.</summary>
    private static async Task Scenario2_FilteredOrderedPagedAsync(SampleContext dbContext, ArxRecordId accountId)
    {
        Step("2. Filtered, ordered and paged");

        var query = new ArxQueryExpression(ArxRowSource.Function("fn_contacts_of_account", ("p_account_id", accountId.AsInt64())));
        query.Criteria.AddCondition("first_name", ArxConditionOperator.BeginsWith, "F");
        query.Criteria.AddCondition("first_name", ArxConditionOperator.NotEqual, "Flo");
        query.AddOrder("first_name", ArxOrderType.Descending);
        query.PageInfo = new ArxPagingInfo { Count = 2, ReturnTotalRecordCount = true };

        var page = await dbContext.Service.RetrieveMultipleAsync(query);
        Show($"{string.Join(", ", page.Entities.Select(x => x["first_name"]))} (page 1 of {page.TotalPageCount}, {page.TotalRecordCount} in all)");

        /* ===========================================================
         * [DIRECT QUERY CHECK]
         * -----------------------------------------------------------
         * SELECT f.first_name
         * FROM account a, fn_contacts_of_account(a.id) f
         * WHERE a.account_number = 'ACC-R671' AND f.first_name <> 'Flo'
         * ORDER BY f.first_name DESC
         * LIMIT 2;
         * -- Expect: 2 rows, Fred, Finn (3 in all).
         * ===========================================================
         */
    }

    /// <summary>3. The same function with its argument by position.</summary>
    private static async Task Scenario3_APositionalArgumentAsync(SampleContext dbContext, ArxRecordId accountId)
    {
        Step("3. A positional argument");

        var rows = await dbContext.Service.RetrieveMultipleAsync(new ArxQueryExpression(ArxRowSource.Function("fn_contacts_of_account", accountId.AsInt64())));
        Show($"{rows.Entities.Count} contacts");

        /* ===========================================================
         * [DIRECT QUERY CHECK]
         * -----------------------------------------------------------
         * SELECT count(*)
         * FROM contact c
         * JOIN account a ON a.id = c.account_id
         * WHERE a.account_number = 'ACC-R671';
         * -- Expect: 4.
         * ===========================================================
         */
    }
}

Expected output

What dotnet run printed when the sample was verified, on a freshly created sample schema. Ids differ when the tables already hold rows.

Output
  > 1. A named argument
      Fay, Finn, Flo, Fred
  > 2. Filtered, ordered and paged
      Fred, Finn (page 1 of 2, 3 in all)
  > 3. A positional argument
      4 contacts