44.29. pg_proc

The catalog pg_proc stores information about functions (or procedures). See CREATE FUNCTION and Section 34.3 for more information.

The table contains data for aggregate functions as well as plain functions. If proisagg is true, there should be a matching row in pg_aggregate.

Table 44-29. pg_proc Columns

NameTypeReferencesDescription
pronamename Name of the function
pronamespaceoidpg_namespace.oid The OID of the namespace that contains this function
proowneroidpg_authid.oidOwner of the function
prolangoidpg_language.oidImplementation language or call interface of this function
procostfloat4 Estimated execution cost (in units of cpu_operator_cost); if proretset, this is cost per row returned
prorowsfloat4 Estimated number of result rows (zero if not proretset)
proisaggbool Function is an aggregate function
prosecdefbool Function is a security definer (i.e., a "setuid" function)
proisstrictbool  Function returns null if any call argument is null. In that case the function won't actually be called at all. Functions that are not "strict" must be prepared to handle null inputs
proretsetbool Function returns a set (i.e., multiple values of the specified data type)
provolatilechar  provolatile tells whether the function's result depends only on its input arguments, or is affected by outside factors. It is i for "immutable" functions, which always deliver the same result for the same inputs. It is s for "stable" functions, whose results (for fixed inputs) do not change within a scan. It is v for "volatile" functions, whose results might change at any time. (Use v also for functions with side-effects, so that calls to them cannot get optimized away.)
pronargsint2 Number of arguments
prorettypeoidpg_type.oidData type of the return value
proargtypesoidvectorpg_type.oid An array with the data types of the function arguments. This includes only input arguments (including INOUT arguments), and thus represents the call signature of the function
proallargtypesoid[]pg_type.oid An array with the data types of the function arguments. This includes all arguments (including OUT and INOUT arguments); however, if all the arguments are IN arguments, this field will be null. Note that subscripting is 1-based, whereas for historical reasons proargtypes is subscripted from 0
proargmodeschar[]  An array with the modes of the function arguments, encoded as i for IN arguments, o for OUT arguments, b for INOUT arguments. If all the arguments are IN arguments, this field will be null. Note that subscripts correspond to positions of proallargtypes not proargtypes
proargnamestext[]  An array with the names of the function arguments. Arguments without a name are set to empty strings in the array. If none of the arguments have a name, this field will be null. Note that subscripts correspond to positions of proallargtypes not proargtypes
prosrctext  This tells the function handler how to invoke the function. It might be the actual source code of the function for interpreted languages, a link symbol, a file name, or just about anything else, depending on the implementation language/call convention
probinbytea  Additional information about how to invoke the function. Again, the interpretation is language-specific
proconfigtext[] Function's local settings for run-time configuration variables
proaclaclitem[]  Access privileges; see GRANT and REVOKE for details

For compiled functions, both built-in and dynamically loaded, prosrc contains the function's C-language name (link symbol). For all other currently-known language types, prosrc contains the function's source text. probin is unused except for dynamically-loaded C functions, for which it gives the name of the shared library file containing the function.