PostgreSQL 7.2.1 Documentation
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# Chapter 26. PL/Python - Python Procedural Language

# 26.1. Introduction

The PL/Python procedural language allows PostgreSQL functions to be written in the Python language.

The current version of PL/Python functions as a trusted language only; access to the file system and other local resources is disabled. Specifically, PL/Python uses the Python restricted execution environment, further restricts it to prevent the use of the file `open` call, and allows only modules from a specific list to be imported. Presently, that list includes: array, bisect, binascii, calendar, cmath, codecs, errno, marshal, math, md5, mpz, operator, pcre, pickle, random, re, regex, sre, sha, string, StringIO, struct, time, whrandom, and zlib.

In the current version, any database error encountered while running a PL/Python function will result in the immediate termination of that function by the server. It is not possible to trap error conditions using Python `try ... catch` constructs. For example, a syntax error in an SQL statement passed to the `plpy.execute()` call will terminate the function. This behavior may be changed in a future release.

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