---
name: "SPI_getvalue"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "postgresql"
version: "18.6-4"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/SPI_getvalue"
---

# SPI\_getvalue(3)

return the string value of the specified column

## NAME

SPI\_getvalue - return the string value of the specified column

## SYNOPSIS

```
char * SPI_getvalue(HeapTuple row, TupleDesc rowdesc, int colnumber)
```

## DESCRIPTION

**SPI\_getvalue** returns the string representation of the value of the specified column.

The result is returned in memory allocated using **palloc**. (You can use **pfree** to release the memory when you don't need it anymore.)

## ARGUMENTS

HeapTuple *row*

input row to be examined

TupleDesc *rowdesc*

input row description

int *colnumber*

column number (count starts at 1)

## RETURN VALUE

Column value, or NULL if the column is null, *colnumber* is out of range (*SPI\_result* is set to SPI\_ERROR\_NOATTRIBUTE), or no output function is available (*SPI\_result* is set to SPI\_ERROR\_NOOUTFUNC).