Comments on: PostgreSQL 18: Add OLD/NEW support to RETURNING in DML queries https://www.dbi-services.com/blog/postgresql-18-add-old-new-support-to-returning-in-dml-queries/ Mon, 27 Jan 2025 12:08:34 +0000 hourly 1 By: Daniel Westermann https://www.dbi-services.com/blog/postgresql-18-add-old-new-support-to-returning-in-dml-queries/#comment-3686 Mon, 27 Jan 2025 12:08:34 +0000 https://www.dbi-services.com/blog/?p=36798#comment-3686 In reply to Tobias Bussmann.

Thank you, Tobias

]]> By: Tobias Bussmann https://www.dbi-services.com/blog/postgresql-18-add-old-new-support-to-returning-in-dml-queries/#comment-3685 Mon, 27 Jan 2025 11:58:12 +0000 https://www.dbi-services.com/blog/?p=36798#comment-3685 It’s a very nice syntax addition indeed. In older versions of PostgreSQL, you can achieve the same result by doing a self-join on the table to be updated:

“` sql
CREATE TABLE change (i, name) AS
SELECT i, ‘old ‘ || i FROM generate_series(1,3) i;

UPDATE change
SET name = ‘new ‘ || change.i
FROM change AS change_old
WHERE change.i = change_old.i
AND change.i >= 2
RETURNING change.i, change_old.name AS old_name, change.name AS new_name;
“`

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