How to return table from MySQL function

12
votes
CREATE FUNCTION myFunction(id INT) RETURNS TABLE  
BEGIN  
   RETURN SELECT * FROM board;  
END

This query gives following error:

1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'TABLE
1
mysql

1 Answers

35
votes

As per documentation on user defined functions in MySQL
you can only return values of type {STRING|INTEGER|REAL|DECIMAL}

CREATE [AGGREGATE] FUNCTION function_name RETURNS {STRING|INTEGER|REAL|DECIMAL}
    SONAME shared_library_name

If you want to read a select resultset you have to define a procedure but not function. 

DELIMITER //

DROP PROCEDURE IF EXISTS myProcedure //

CREATE PROCEDURE 
  myProcedure( id INT )
BEGIN  
   SELECT * FROM board
     -- add where condition if required
    WHERE Col_name = id
   ;  
END 
//

DELIMITER ;

And you can call procedure like

call myProcedure( 6 )

That returns implicit objects based on the statements used in the procedure.