-- Name: cast(text, anyelement); Type: FUNCTION; Schema: util; Owner: -

--

CREATE FUNCTION "cast"(value text, ret_type_null anyelement) RETURNS anyelement

    LANGUAGE plpgsql IMMUTABLE

    AS $$

/* must use LANGUAGE plpgsql because LANGUAGE sql does not assignment-cast the

return value, causing a type mismatch */

BEGIN

	-- will then be assignment-cast to return type via INOUT

	RETURN value::cstring;

END;

$$;

--

-- Name: FUNCTION "cast"(value text, ret_type_null anyelement); Type: COMMENT; Schema: util; Owner: -

--

COMMENT ON FUNCTION "cast"(value text, ret_type_null anyelement) IS '

allows casting to an arbitrary type without eval()

usage:

SELECT util.cast(''value'', NULL::integer);

note that there does *not* need to be a cast from text to the output type,

because an INOUT cast is used instead

(http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.3/static/sql-createcast.html#AEN69507)

ret_type_null: NULL::ret_type

';

--