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Overview

The fun_errcode function retrieves the human-readable error description for a given PostgreSQL SQLSTATE error code from the tab_error catalog table.

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Function Signature

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION fun_errcode(
    wcod_error VARCHAR
) RETURNS VARCHAR

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Parameters

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wcod_error
VARCHAR
required
The PostgreSQL SQLSTATE error code to lookup (e.g., ‘23505’, ‘22008’, ‘P0001’)

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Return Value

Returns a VARCHAR containing the descriptive error message in Spanish, or NULL if the error code is not found in the catalog.

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Description

This utility function looks up error codes in the tab_error table and returns the corresponding name_error description. It’s useful for:
  • Displaying user-friendly error messages in application interfaces
  • Logging detailed error information
  • Creating custom error handling workflows
  • Debugging database operations
The function performs a simple lookup against the error catalog which contains 336+ PostgreSQL error codes organized by class (constraint violations, data exceptions, PL/pgSQL errors, etc.).

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Usage Examples

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Basic Error Code Lookup

-- Look up a unique constraint violation error
SELECT fun_errcode('23505');
-- Returns: 'Unique Violation: Violación de restricción única.'

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Using in Error Handling

-- Example error handler that uses fun_errcode
DO $$
BEGIN
    INSERT INTO tab_emplea VALUES (1, 'Juan', 'Pérez', ...);
EXCEPTION
    WHEN SQLSTATE '23505' THEN
        RAISE NOTICE 'Error: %', fun_errcode('23505');
        -- Output: Error: Unique Violation: Violación de restricción única.
END;
$$;

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Application Integration

-- Retrieve error details for logging
SELECT 
    '23503' as error_code,
    fun_errcode('23503') as error_message;

-- Result:
-- error_code | error_message
-- 23503      | Foreign Key Violation: Violación de clave foránea.

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Common Error Codes

-- Check common payroll-related errors
SELECT fun_errcode('22008');  -- Datetime Field Overflow
SELECT fun_errcode('23502');  -- Not Null Violation
SELECT fun_errcode('23503');  -- Foreign Key Violation
SELECT fun_errcode('P0001');  -- Raise Exception (custom errors)

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Error Handling

The function returns NULL if the provided error code does not exist in the tab_error table: 
SELECT fun_errcode('99999');  -- Returns NULL (code doesn't exist)

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Performance Considerations

  • The function performs a simple indexed lookup on tab_error.cod_error (primary key)
  • Very fast execution due to primary key index
  • Safe to call frequently in application code

Error Handling Guide

Complete error handling patterns and best practices

Error Catalog Schema

Full reference of the tab_error table structure

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Source File

This function is defined in /err/fun_errcode.sql.

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