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); i = 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) { i = 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)