53.10. pg_cast

53.10. `pg_cast`
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The catalog pg_cast stores data type conversion paths, both built-in and user-defined.

It should be noted that pg_cast does not represent every type conversion that the system knows how to perform; only those that cannot be deduced from some generic rule. For example, casting between a domain and its base type is not explicitly represented in pg_cast . Another important exception is that " automatic I/O conversion casts " , those performed using a data type's own I/O functions to convert to or from text or other string types, are not explicitly represented in pg_cast .

Table 53.10. pg_cast Columns

Column Type Description
`oid` `oid` Row identifier
`castsource` `oid` (references `pg_type` . `oid` ) OID of the source data type
`casttarget` `oid` (references `pg_type` . `oid` ) OID of the target data type
`castfunc` `oid` (references `pg_proc` . `oid` ) The OID of the function to use to perform this cast. Zero is stored if the cast method doesn't require a function.
`castcontext` `char` Indicates what contexts the cast can be invoked in. `e` means only as an explicit cast (using `CAST` or `::` syntax). `a` means implicitly in assignment to a target column, as well as explicitly. `i` means implicitly in expressions, as well as the other cases.
`castmethod` `char` Indicates how the cast is performed. `f` means that the function specified in the `castfunc` field is used. `i` means that the input/output functions are used. `b` means that the types are binary-coercible, thus no conversion is required.

Column Type

Description

oid oid

Row identifier

castsource oid (references pg_type . oid )

OID of the source data type

casttarget oid (references pg_type . oid )

OID of the target data type

castfunc oid (references pg_proc . oid )

The OID of the function to use to perform this cast. Zero is stored if the cast method doesn't require a function.

castcontext char

Indicates what contexts the cast can be invoked in. e means only as an explicit cast (using CAST or :: syntax). a means implicitly in assignment to a target column, as well as explicitly. i means implicitly in expressions, as well as the other cases.

castmethod char

Indicates how the cast is performed. f means that the function specified in the castfunc field is used. i means that the input/output functions are used. b means that the types are binary-coercible, thus no conversion is required.

The cast functions listed in pg_cast must always take the cast source type as their first argument type, and return the cast destination type as their result type. A cast function can have up to three arguments. The second argument, if present, must be type integer ; it receives the type modifier associated with the destination type, or -1 if there is none. The third argument, if present, must be type boolean ; it receives true if the cast is an explicit cast, false otherwise.

It is legitimate to create a pg_cast entry in which the source and target types are the same, if the associated function takes more than one argument. Such entries represent " length coercion functions " that coerce values of the type to be legal for a particular type modifier value.

When a pg_cast entry has different source and target types and a function that takes more than one argument, it represents converting from one type to another and applying a length coercion in a single step. When no such entry is available, coercion to a type that uses a type modifier involves two steps, one to convert between data types and a second to apply the modifier.

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