Goal This query identifies SQL routines that implement optimistic concurrency control via the xmin system column but fail to provide an execution status to the invoker. Specifically, it flags functions that perform UPDATE or DELETE operations filtered by xmin (a version check) but do not return information regarding the operation's success (e.g., a row count or a BOOLEAN status). This is a critical logic flaw; if a concurrency conflict occurs (the row was modified by another transaction), the operation yields zero rows. Without a return value, the failure is silent, leaving the calling application unaware that the data modification did not occur.
Notes Refers to the column pg_proc.prokind and thus works starting from PostgreSQL 11. In the returned body of routine the query replaces each newline character with the line break (br) tag for the better readability in case the query result is displayed in a web browser. There could be multiple routines with the same name but with different parameters in the same schema (overloading). Thus, for the unique identification of the routine it is necessary to present also its parameters in addition to the schema name and routine name.
Type Problem detection Each row in the result could represent a flaw in the design
Reliability Medium Medium number of false-positive results
License MIT (opens in new tab)
Data Source INFORMATION_SCHEMA+system catalog
SQL Query 
SELECT 
  pg_namespace.nspname AS func_schema, 
  pg_proc.proname AS func_name, 
  pg_get_function_identity_arguments(pg_proc.oid) AS parameters,
  regexp_replace(pg_get_functiondef(pg_proc.oid),'[\r\n]','<br>','g')  AS func_src,
  pg_type.typname
FROM 
  pg_catalog.pg_proc, 
  pg_catalog.pg_namespace,
  pg_catalog.pg_language,
  pg_catalog.pg_type
WHERE 
  pg_proc.pronamespace = pg_namespace.oid 
  AND pg_proc.prolang = pg_language.oid 
  AND pg_proc.prorettype = pg_type.oid 
  AND pg_proc.prokind<>'a'
  AND pg_proc.prokind='f' 
  AND pg_language.lanname='sql' 
  AND pg_namespace.nspname NOT IN (SELECT schema_name
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.schemata
WHERE schema_name<>'public' AND
schema_owner='postgres' AND schema_name IS NOT NULL)
AND pg_get_functiondef(pg_proc.oid)~*'(UPDATE|DELETE)[^;]*WHERE[^;]*xmin[[:space:]]'
AND pg_get_functiondef(pg_proc.oid)~*'[[:space:]]RETURNS[[:space:]]+VOID'
ORDER BY func_schema, func_name, parameters;

Collections

This query belongs to the following collections:

Find problems automatically

Queries, that results point to problems in the database. Each query in the collection produces an initial assessment. However, a human reviewer has the final say as to whether there is a problem or not .

NameDescription
Find problems automaticallyQueries, that results point to problems in the database. Each query in the collection produces an initial assessment. However, a human reviewer has the final say as to whether there is a problem or not .

Categories

This query is classified under the following categories:

Does not work in some earlier PostgreSQL version

Queries of this category provide information that was not available in some earlier PostgreSQL version

User-defined routines

Queries of this category provide information about the user-defined routines

NameDescription
Does not work in some earlier PostgreSQL versionQueries of this category provide information that was not available in some earlier PostgreSQL version
User-defined routinesQueries of this category provide information about the user-defined routines