PostgreSQL error 2F003 occurs when a SQL routine (function, procedure, or trigger) attempts to execute a statement that is prohibited in its current context, such as transaction control commands (COMMIT, ROLLBACK) or DDL statements within restricted function types.
The 2F003 error code belongs to class 2F "SQL Routine Exception" and indicates that a prohibited SQL statement was attempted within an external routine or function. This error occurs when you try to execute certain SQL statements that are not allowed within the specific context of a function or procedure. PostgreSQL restricts certain types of SQL statements within functions, particularly those that would interfere with transaction control or violate the function's declared characteristics. Common prohibited operations include transaction control statements (COMMIT, ROLLBACK, SAVEPOINT) in regular functions, DDL statements (CREATE TABLE, ALTER TABLE, DROP TABLE) in IMMUTABLE or STABLE functions, and utility commands that don't fit the function's declared behavior. This error serves as a safeguard to maintain PostgreSQL's ACID guarantees and ensure that functions behave consistently with their declared characteristics. The database engine enforces these restrictions to prevent operations that could compromise transaction integrity, violate isolation levels, or interfere with the query optimizer's assumptions about function behavior.
First, locate the specific SQL statement causing the error. Examine your function definition:
-- View the function source code
SELECT proname, prosrc
FROM pg_proc
WHERE proname = 'your_function_name';
-- Or use psql command
\df+ your_function_nameLook for transaction control statements (COMMIT, ROLLBACK, SAVEPOINT) or DDL statements (CREATE, ALTER, DROP) in the function body.
If your code needs COMMIT or ROLLBACK, convert it from a FUNCTION to a PROCEDURE. Only procedures support transaction control:
-- Instead of a function like this:
-- CREATE FUNCTION process_orders() RETURNS void AS $$
-- BEGIN
-- INSERT INTO orders_processed ...
-- COMMIT; -- This causes 2F003 error
-- END;
-- $$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
-- Use a PROCEDURE:
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE process_orders()
LANGUAGE plpgsql
AS $$
BEGIN
INSERT INTO orders_processed (order_id, processed_at)
SELECT order_id, NOW()
FROM pending_orders;
COMMIT; -- Allowed in procedures
DELETE FROM pending_orders WHERE processed = true;
COMMIT;
END;
$$;
-- Call with CALL instead of SELECT:
CALL process_orders();Note: Procedures are called with CALL, not SELECT, and cannot be used in SQL expressions.
If your function contains DDL statements, ensure it's marked as VOLATILE and reconsider whether the DDL belongs in a function:
-- If DDL is necessary, use VOLATILE
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION create_user_table(username text)
RETURNS void
LANGUAGE plpgsql
VOLATILE -- Required for DDL operations
AS $$
BEGIN
EXECUTE format('CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS %I (
id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
data jsonb
)', username || '_data');
END;
$$;Better approach: Move DDL to setup scripts or migration files rather than embedding in functions.
For error handling in functions, use PostgreSQL's exception handling mechanism rather than explicit transaction control:
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION safe_insert_order(order_data jsonb)
RETURNS integer
LANGUAGE plpgsql
VOLATILE
AS $$
DECLARE
new_order_id integer;
BEGIN
INSERT INTO orders (data, created_at)
VALUES (order_data, NOW())
RETURNING id INTO new_order_id;
RETURN new_order_id;
EXCEPTION
WHEN unique_violation THEN
-- PostgreSQL automatically rolls back the failed statement
-- No explicit ROLLBACK needed
RAISE NOTICE 'Duplicate order detected';
RETURN NULL;
WHEN OTHERS THEN
-- Log error and re-raise
RAISE WARNING 'Order insert failed: %', SQLERRM;
RAISE;
END;
$$;PostgreSQL automatically rolls back failed statements within functions - explicit ROLLBACK is unnecessary and prohibited.
Maintenance commands like VACUUM, ANALYZE, or REINDEX cannot run inside functions. Move them to separate scripts:
-- Don't do this:
-- CREATE FUNCTION maintenance() RETURNS void AS $$
-- BEGIN
-- VACUUM orders; -- Causes 2F003 error
-- END;
-- $$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
-- Instead, create a separate maintenance script:
-- maintenance.sql
VACUUM ANALYZE orders;
REINDEX TABLE orders;
-- Or use a DO block for one-time operations:
DO $$
BEGIN
RAISE NOTICE 'Starting maintenance...';
-- Regular SQL statements only, no VACUUM/ANALYZE
END $$;Schedule maintenance commands via cron, pg_cron extension, or external scripts rather than embedding in functions.
After making changes, verify the function works correctly:
-- For procedures, use CALL:
CALL process_orders();
-- For functions, use SELECT:
SELECT safe_insert_order('{"customer": "John", "total": 99.99}'::jsonb);
-- Verify function characteristics:
SELECT
proname,
prokind, -- 'f' = function, 'p' = procedure
provolatile, -- 'v' = VOLATILE, 's' = STABLE, 'i' = IMMUTABLE
prosrc
FROM pg_proc
WHERE proname = 'your_function_name';Ensure no 2F003 errors occur and the routine behaves as expected.
Function vs Procedure Transaction Control:
PostgreSQL introduced procedures in version 11, which support transaction control (COMMIT/ROLLBACK) unlike functions. Key differences:
- Functions: Cannot use COMMIT/ROLLBACK, automatically run within the caller's transaction, can be used in SQL expressions and return values
- Procedures: Support COMMIT/ROLLBACK, control their own transactions, called with CALL statement, no return value (use OUT parameters instead)
Autonomous Transactions Workaround:
PostgreSQL doesn't support true autonomous transactions like Oracle. If you need transaction isolation within a function, use dblink or pg_background extensions to execute commands in a separate connection:
-- Using dblink for pseudo-autonomous transactions
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS dblink;
CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION log_audit(message text)
RETURNS void AS $$
BEGIN
PERFORM dblink_exec('dbname=mydb', format(
'INSERT INTO audit_log (message, logged_at) VALUES (%L, NOW())',
message
));
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;DDL in Functions - Security Considerations:
Executing dynamic DDL (CREATE TABLE, ALTER TABLE) within functions poses security risks. If the function is SECURITY DEFINER, an attacker could potentially exploit SQL injection to create malicious database objects. Always:
- Use quote_ident() and quote_literal() to sanitize inputs
- Validate table/column names against whitelists
- Prefer static DDL in migration scripts over dynamic DDL in functions
- Consider whether the DDL truly needs to be in a function
Error Code Context:
The 2F class represents SQL Routine Exceptions:
- 2F000: General SQL routine exception
- 2F002: Modifying SQL data not permitted (data modification in read-only functions)
- 2F003: Prohibited SQL statement attempted (transaction control, DDL in inappropriate contexts)
- 2F004: Reading SQL data not permitted (rare, SQL/MED related)
- 2F005: Function executed no return statement
Understanding the distinction between these errors helps diagnose whether the issue is about data modification (2F002) or prohibited statement types (2F003).
ERROR: syntax error at end of input
Syntax error at end of input in PostgreSQL
Bind message supplies N parameters but prepared statement requires M
Bind message supplies N parameters but prepared statement requires M in PostgreSQL
Multidimensional arrays must have sub-arrays with matching dimensions
Multidimensional arrays must have sub-arrays with matching dimensions
ERROR: value too long for type character varying
Value too long for type character varying
insufficient columns in unique constraint for partition key
How to fix "insufficient columns in unique constraint for partition key" in PostgreSQL