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$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/close.sgml,v 1.16 2003/08/24 21:02:42 petere Exp $
PostgreSQL documentation
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<refentry id="SQL-CLOSE">
 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle id="SQL-CLOSE-TITLE">CLOSE</refentrytitle>
  <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>

 <refnamediv>
  <refname>CLOSE</refname>
  <refpurpose>close a cursor</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
CLOSE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">cursor</replaceable>
</synopsis>
 </refsynopsisdiv>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>

  <para>
   <command>CLOSE</command> frees the resources associated with an open cursor.
   After the cursor is closed, no subsequent operations
   are allowed on it. A cursor should be closed when it is
   no longer needed.
  </para>

  <para>
   Every non-holdable open cursor is implicitly closed when a
   transaction is terminated by <command>COMMIT</command> or
   <command>ROLLBACK</command>. Holdable cursors are implicitely
   closed if the transaction that created them aborts via
   <command>ROLLBACK</command>; if this does not happen, the holdable
   cursor remains open until an explicit <command>CLOSE</command> is
   executed, or the client disconnects.
  </para>
 </refsect1>
  
 <refsect1>
  <title>Parameters</title>

  <variablelist>
   <varlistentry>
    <term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">cursor</replaceable></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      The name of an open cursor to close.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>
  </variablelist>
 </refsect1>
  
 <refsect1>
  <title>Diagnostics</title>

  <variablelist>
   <varlistentry>
    <term><computeroutput>CLOSE CURSOR</computeroutput></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Message returned if the cursor is successfully closed.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>

   <varlistentry>
    <term><computeroutput>ERROR:  cursor "<replaceable class="PARAMETER">cursor</replaceable>" does not exist</computeroutput></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Message returned if <replaceable
      class="PARAMETER">cursor</replaceable> is not declared or has
      already been closed.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>
  </variablelist>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Notes</title>

  <para>
   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> does not have an explicit
   <command>OPEN</command> cursor statement; a cursor is considered
   open when it is declared.  Use the <command>DECLARE</command>
   statement to declare a cursor.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Examples</title>

  <para>
   Close the cursor <literal>liahona</literal>:
<programlisting>
CLOSE liahona;
</programlisting>
  </para>
 </refsect1>
 
 <refsect1>
  <title>Compatibility</title>
  
  <para>
   <command>CLOSE</command> is fully conforming with the SQL standard.
  </para>
 </refsect1>
</refentry>

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