now() in PL/pgSQL Functions

["Yosef Haas" <yosef(at)karatedepot(dot)com>]

This is in version 8.1.4.

 

I’ve noticed what seems to be a strange behavior – it may be by design, but I figured I’d ask.

 

Run this simple test function:

 

create or replace function test() RETURNS bool AS '

begin

            raise notice ''%'',now();

            for i IN 0..50000000  loop

            end loop;

            raise notice ''%'',now();

            return true;

end;

'

LANGUAGE 'plpgsql';

 

It should print the current date, wait a few seconds (by counting to 50 million)

And then print the current date. Clearly, the two dates are not identical; however this is how it executes:

 

catalog=# select test();

NOTICE:  2007-01-30 09:33:19.323702-05

NOTICE:  2007-01-30 09:33:19.323702-05

 test

------

 t

(1 row)

 

For some reason it is using the same value for both “now()” calls. Is this a bug, or by design? If it’s by design what can I do to get the right time. I know that the function only returns when it’s finished executing, but shouldn’t now() return the actual time and not the time that the function begins?

 

Thanks,

 

Yosef Haas

yosef(at)karatedepot(dot)com