There are more complex examples in src/test/regress/regress.c and in contrib/spi.
Here is a very simple example of trigger usage. Function trigf reports the number of tuples in the triggered relation ttest and skips the operation if the query attempts to insert NULL into x (i.e - it acts as a NOT NULL constraint but doesn't abort the transaction).
#include "executor/spi.h" /* this is what you need to work with SPI */
#include "commands/trigger.h" /* -"- and triggers */
extern Datum trigf(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS);
PG_FUNCTION_INFO_V1(trigf);
Datum
trigf(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
{
TriggerData *trigdata = (TriggerData *) fcinfo->context;
TupleDesc tupdesc;
HeapTuple rettuple;
char *when;
bool checknull = false;
bool isnull;
int ret, i;
/* Make sure trigdata is pointing at what I expect */
if (!CALLED_AS_TRIGGER(fcinfo))
elog(ERROR, "trigf: not fired by trigger manager");
/* tuple to return to Executor */
if (TRIGGER_FIRED_BY_UPDATE(trigdata->tg_event))
rettuple = trigdata->tg_newtuple;
else
rettuple = trigdata->tg_trigtuple;
/* check for NULLs ? */
if (!TRIGGER_FIRED_BY_DELETE(trigdata->tg_event) &&
TRIGGER_FIRED_BEFORE(trigdata->tg_event))
checknull = true;
if (TRIGGER_FIRED_BEFORE(trigdata->tg_event))
when = "before";
else
when = "after ";
tupdesc = trigdata->tg_relation->rd_att;
/* Connect to SPI manager */
if ((ret = SPI_connect()) < 0)
elog(NOTICE, "trigf (fired %s): SPI_connect returned %d", when, ret);
/* Get number of tuples in relation */
ret = SPI_exec("SELECT count(*) FROM ttest", 0);
if (ret < 0)
elog(NOTICE, "trigf (fired %s): SPI_exec returned %d", when, ret);
/* count(*) returns int8 as of PG 7.2, so be careful to convert */
i = (int) DatumGetInt64(SPI_getbinval(SPI_tuptable->vals[0],
SPI_tuptable->tupdesc,
1,
&isnull));
elog (NOTICE, "trigf (fired %s): there are %d tuples in ttest", when, i);
SPI_finish();
if (checknull)
{
(void) SPI_getbinval(rettuple, tupdesc, 1, &isnull);
if (isnull)
rettuple = NULL;
}
return PointerGetDatum(rettuple);
}
Now, compile and create the trigger function:
CREATE FUNCTION trigf () RETURNS OPAQUE AS
'...path_to_so' LANGUAGE 'C';
CREATE TABLE ttest (x int4);
vac=> CREATE TRIGGER tbefore BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE OR DELETE ON ttest
FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE trigf();
CREATE
vac=> CREATE TRIGGER tafter AFTER INSERT OR UPDATE OR DELETE ON ttest
FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE PROCEDURE trigf();
CREATE
vac=> INSERT INTO ttest VALUES (NULL);
NOTICE:trigf (fired before): there are 0 tuples in ttest
INSERT 0 0
-- Insertion skipped and AFTER trigger is not fired
vac=> SELECT * FROM ttest;
x
-
(0 rows)
vac=> INSERT INTO ttest VALUES (1);
NOTICE:trigf (fired before): there are 0 tuples in ttest
NOTICE:trigf (fired after ): there are 1 tuples in ttest
^^^^^^^^
remember what we said about visibility.
INSERT 167793 1
vac=> SELECT * FROM ttest;
x
-
1
(1 row)
vac=> INSERT INTO ttest SELECT x * 2 FROM ttest;
NOTICE:trigf (fired before): there are 1 tuples in ttest
NOTICE:trigf (fired after ): there are 2 tuples in ttest
^^^^^^^^
remember what we said about visibility.
INSERT 167794 1
vac=> SELECT * FROM ttest;
x
-
1
2
(2 rows)
vac=> UPDATE ttest SET x = null WHERE x = 2;
NOTICE:trigf (fired before): there are 2 tuples in ttest
UPDATE 0
vac=> UPDATE ttest SET x = 4 WHERE x = 2;
NOTICE:trigf (fired before): there are 2 tuples in ttest
NOTICE:trigf (fired after ): there are 2 tuples in ttest
UPDATE 1
vac=> SELECT * FROM ttest;
x
-
1
4
(2 rows)
vac=> DELETE FROM ttest;
NOTICE:trigf (fired before): there are 2 tuples in ttest
NOTICE:trigf (fired after ): there are 1 tuples in ttest
NOTICE:trigf (fired before): there are 1 tuples in ttest
NOTICE:trigf (fired after ): there are 0 tuples in ttest
^^^^^^^^
remember what we said about visibility.
DELETE 2
vac=> SELECT * FROM ttest;
x
-
(0 rows)