The PL/Python procedural language allows PostgreSQL functions to be written in the Python language.
To install PL/Python in a particular database, use CREATE EXTENSION plpythonu
(but see also Section 46.1).
If a language is installed into template1
, all subsequently created databases will have the language installed automatically.
PL/Python is only available as an “untrusted” language, meaning it does not offer any way of restricting what users can do in it and is therefore named plpythonu
. A trusted variant plpython
might become available in the future if a secure execution mechanism is developed in Python. The writer of a function in untrusted PL/Python must take care that the function cannot be used to do anything unwanted, since it will be able to do anything that could be done by a user logged in as the database administrator. Only superusers can create functions in untrusted languages such as plpythonu
.
Users of source packages must specially enable the build of PL/Python during the installation process. (Refer to the installation instructions for more information.) Users of binary packages might find PL/Python in a separate subpackage.