PL/pgSQL errors occur when stored procedures, functions, or triggers contain syntax errors, type mismatches, or runtime exceptions. Fix them by validating RAISE statement syntax, checking parameter counts, and using GET STACKED DIAGNOSTICS for debugging.
PL/pgSQL is PostgreSQL's procedural language for writing stored functions, triggers, and blocks. A "PL/pgSQL error" is a generic message that covers various runtime or compilation issues within your stored code. These errors can range from incorrect RAISE statement formatting to unhandled exceptions during function execution. The error typically includes details about the specific problem (syntax error, type mismatch, or uncaught exception) and occurs when PostgreSQL compiles or executes your function body.
Check that the number of % placeholders in your RAISE statement matches the number of arguments passed. Each % expects exactly one argument.
-- INCORRECT: 2 placeholders but only 1 argument
RAISE EXCEPTION 'Error: % in %', error_msg;
-- CORRECT: 2 placeholders and 2 arguments
RAISE EXCEPTION 'Error: % in %', error_msg, context_info;
-- Use %% to output a literal percent sign
RAISE NOTICE 'Progress: 100%%';Ensure all variables are declared with correct types and that assignments match those types. Use explicit casting if needed.
CREATE FUNCTION check_age(user_id INT) RETURNS TEXT AS $$
DECLARE
age INT;
message TEXT;
BEGIN
SELECT user_age INTO age FROM users WHERE id = user_id;
-- Make sure age is INT and user_age column is compatible
message := 'User age is ' || age::TEXT;
RETURN message;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;Use valid PostgreSQL SQLSTATE codes or condition names in exception handlers. Refer to the error codes appendix for the complete list.
BEGIN
PERFORM 1 / 0; -- Will raise division by zero
EXCEPTION
WHEN division_by_zero THEN
RAISE NOTICE 'Cannot divide by zero';
WHEN SQLSTATE '22012' THEN
RAISE NOTICE 'Caught by SQLSTATE code';
END;GET STACKED DIAGNOSTICS captures error details and must be called inside a BEGIN...EXCEPTION block.
BEGIN
-- Some operation that might fail
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES (NULL); -- May violate constraint
EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS THEN
GET STACKED DIAGNOSTICS
error_code = RETURNED_SQLSTATE,
error_msg = MESSAGE_TEXT;
RAISE NOTICE 'Error [%]: %', error_code, error_msg;
END;Use ASSERT statements for inline debugging checks. These can be toggled via configuration.
CREATE FUNCTION validate_amount(amount DECIMAL) RETURNS BOOLEAN AS $$
BEGIN
ASSERT amount > 0, 'Amount must be positive';
ASSERT amount <= 1000000, 'Amount exceeds maximum';
RETURN TRUE;
END;
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
-- Enable assertions (on by default)
SET plpgsql.check_asserts = on;Install and use plpgsql_check to catch errors before runtime, including unused variables, type mismatches, and undefined references.
-- Install the extension
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS plpgsql_check;
-- Check a function for errors
SELECT * FROM plpgsql_check_function('my_function(INT)'::regprocedure);PostgreSQL error codes follow the SQL standard SQLSTATE format: a five-character code where the first two characters indicate the error class (00-99). Class 00 represents success, 01 represents warnings, and 02 represents "no data". Codes ending in 000 are category codes and catch all errors in that class. When writing functions that will be called frequently, use pgAdmin's PL/pgSQL debugger (requires superuser privileges and shared_preload_libraries configuration) to step through execution. For complex error scenarios, consider using DETAIL and HINT clauses in RAISE EXCEPTION to provide context that helps users understand the root cause: RAISE EXCEPTION 'Invalid input' DETAIL 'Expected integer, got %', typeof(input) HINT 'Check your data types'.
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