--- title: "enum_range_boundary" slug: "dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range-boundary" updated: 2026-10-30T18:18:56Z published: 2026-10-30T18:18:56Z canonical: "docs.vastdata.com/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range-boundary" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vastdata.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # enum_range_boundary *Applies to VAST Cluster 5.5.* *[Functions](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-index) › [Binary, hash and UUID functions](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-binary-hash-uuid) › Values of an ENUM type.* Returns the values of an `ENUM` type from one value to another, both included, as a list of `VARCHAR` in the declared order. A NULL boundary means the first or the last value. ## Syntax ``` enum_range_boundary(from, to) ``` | Argument | Type | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | `from` | An `ENUM` value, or NULL | The first value of the range. NULL starts at the type's first value. | | `to` | A value of the same `ENUM` type, or NULL | The last value of the range. NULL ends at the type's last value. | **Returns:** `VARCHAR[]`. ## Set up the examples The examples connect with the ADBC driver, as in [VAST Query Engine (ADBC)](/develop/docs/dev-database-integrations-adbc), and work in a schema called `docs_sql_fn_enums_enum_range_boundary`. Set `QE_ENDPOINT`, `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`, `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY` and `VASTDB_BUCKET` ([SQL reference](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-index#example-connect-and-use-a-transaction)), and run the blocks in order in one Python session. Below each block is the output you should see. `ENUM` isn't a column type, so the table stores the priority of five tickets as `VARCHAR`, and the queries cast it to the `ENUM` type held in `LEVEL`. The table also stores the priority's position (`priority_code`) and a requested priority that isn't always a valid value. Ticket 4 has no values. This block connects, defines the `run()` and `plan()` helpers, and creates the table: ``` import os import re import adbc_driver_manager import adbc_driver_manager.dbapi as dbapi import adbc_driver_vastdb BUCKET = os.environ["VASTDB_BUCKET"] SCHEMA = f'"{BUCKET}/docs_sql_fn_enums_enum_range_boundary"' LEVEL = "ENUM('low', 'mid', 'high')" conn = dbapi.connect( driver=adbc_driver_vastdb.get_driver_path(), db_kwargs={ "vast.db.endpoint": os.environ["QE_ENDPOINT"], "vast.db.access_key": os.environ["AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID"], "vast.db.secret_key": os.environ["AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY"], }, autocommit=True, ) def server_message(e): """The server's message in a driver error, without the request ID or the echoed statement.""" text = re.sub(r"\[req=0x[0-9a-f]+\]: ", "", str(e)) found = (re.search(r'message: "(.*?)", request_id', text, re.S) or re.search(r"description: (.*)\)", text, re.S)) message = found.group(1) if found else text.strip().splitlines()[-1] message = re.sub(r"^Plan query: '.*?' failed with: ", "", message, flags=re.S) message = re.sub(r"^Parse query: '.*?' failed with: ", "", message, flags=re.S) message = re.split(r"\\n|\n", message)[0].replace('\\"', '"') return message.replace(BUCKET, "") def run(sql): """Run one statement. Print the rows it returns, or the error.""" try: with conn.cursor() as cur: cur.execute(sql) rows = cur.fetchall() if cur.description else [] except (adbc_driver_manager.Error, OSError, ValueError) as e: print(f"{type(e).__name__}: {server_message(e)}") else: print(rows) def plan(sql): """Print the plan without its ~N Rows lines: the table's row count, which can still be 0 just after an insert.""" with conn.cursor() as cur: cur.execute("EXPLAIN " + sql) steps = cur.fetchall()[0][1] print("\n".join(line for line in steps.splitlines() if "Rows" not in line)) TABLE = f"{SCHEMA}.tickets" run(f"CREATE SCHEMA IF NOT EXISTS {SCHEMA}") run(f"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {TABLE} (id BIGINT, priority VARCHAR, priority_code BIGINT, requested VARCHAR)") run(f"INSERT INTO {TABLE} VALUES " "(1, 'low', 0, 'high'), " "(2, 'high', 2, 'HIGH'), " "(3, 'mid', 1, 'mid'), " "(4, NULL, NULL, NULL), " "(5, 'low', 0, 'none')") ``` ``` [] [] [(5,)] ``` ## What it does An `ENUM` type is a fixed list of values in a declared order, such as `ENUM('low', 'mid', 'high')`. `enum_range_boundary` returns the part of that list from `from` to `to`, both included: `enum_range_boundary('low'::ENUM('low', 'mid', 'high'), 'mid'::ENUM('low', 'mid', 'high'))` is `['low', 'mid']`. A NULL of the type as `from` starts the range at the first value, and as `to` ends it at the last value, so `enum_range_boundary('mid'::ENUM(...), NULL::ENUM(...))` is "`mid` and above": `['mid', 'high']`. With both NULL, it's the whole list, like [enum_range](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range). If `from` comes after `to`, the list is empty. Pass constants as boundaries. A column as a boundary doesn't give a range per row: every row gets the same list. In `enum_range_boundary(CAST(priority AS ENUM(...)), 'high'::ENUM(...))`, a `'high'` or `'mid'` row also gets `['low', 'mid', 'high']`. For a range that starts at each row's value, slice [enum_range](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range) by the row's code, as in the last example. ## NULLs and edge cases | Input | Result | | --- | --- | | `'mid'`, `NULL::ENUM(...)` | `['mid', 'high']` | | `NULL::ENUM(...)`, `'mid'` | `['low', 'mid']` | | `NULL::ENUM(...)`, `NULL::ENUM(...)` | `['low', 'mid', 'high']` | | `NULL` (untyped), `'high'::ENUM(...)` | `['low', 'mid', 'high']` | | `'mid'`, `'mid'` | `['mid']` | | `'high'`, `'low'` (`from` after `to`) | `[]` | | `NULL`, `NULL` (both untyped), or a string, number, list, date or boolean | Error: `This function needs an ENUM as an argument` | | Values of two different `ENUM` types | Error: `The parameters need to link to ONLY one enum OR be NULL` | | One argument | Error: `No function matches the given name and argument types 'enum_range_boundary(ENUM('low', 'mid', 'high'))'. You might need to add explicit type casts.` | In the table, `'mid'` stands for `'mid'::ENUM('low', 'mid', 'high')`. The same cases, as the cluster returns them. They use the helpers from [Set up the examples](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range-boundary#set-up-the-examples): ``` run(f"SELECT enum_range_boundary('mid'::{LEVEL}, NULL::{LEVEL}), enum_range_boundary(NULL::{LEVEL}, 'mid'::{LEVEL}), " f"enum_range_boundary(NULL::{LEVEL}, NULL::{LEVEL}), enum_range_boundary(NULL, 'high'::{LEVEL})") run(f"SELECT enum_range_boundary('mid'::{LEVEL}, 'mid'::{LEVEL}), enum_range_boundary('high'::{LEVEL}, 'low'::{LEVEL}), " f"typeof(enum_range_boundary('low'::{LEVEL}, 'high'::{LEVEL}))") run("SELECT enum_range_boundary(NULL, NULL)") run(f"SELECT enum_range_boundary('low'::{LEVEL}, 'high')") run(f"SELECT enum_range_boundary('low'::{LEVEL}, 'b'::ENUM('a', 'b'))") run(f"SELECT enum_range_boundary('low'::{LEVEL})") ``` ``` [(['mid', 'high'], ['low', 'mid'], ['low', 'mid', 'high'], ['low', 'mid', 'high'])] [(['mid'], [], 'VARCHAR[]')] InternalError: Binder Error: This function needs an ENUM as an argument InternalError: Binder Error: This function needs an ENUM as an argument InternalError: Binder Error: The parameters need to link to ONLY one enum OR be NULL InternalError: Binder Error: No function matches the given name and argument types 'enum_range_boundary(ENUM('low', 'mid', 'high'))'. You might need to add explicit type casts. ``` ## Examples The levels at `mid` and above, and up to `mid`: ``` run(f"SELECT enum_range_boundary('mid'::{LEVEL}, NULL::{LEVEL}), enum_range_boundary(NULL::{LEVEL}, 'mid'::{LEVEL})") ``` ``` [(['mid', 'high'], ['low', 'mid'])] ``` Keep the tickets whose priority is `mid` or above, by testing the priority against the range: ``` run(f"SELECT id FROM {TABLE} WHERE list_contains(enum_range_boundary('mid'::{LEVEL}, NULL::{LEVEL}), priority) " "ORDER BY id LIMIT 10") ``` ``` [(2,), (3,)] ``` With a column as `from` (first query) or as `to` (second query), every row gets the same list, whatever its value. To get the levels from each ticket's priority up, slice [enum_range](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range) from the priority's code instead: ``` run(f"SELECT id, priority, enum_range_boundary(CAST(priority AS {LEVEL}), 'high'::{LEVEL}) FROM {TABLE} ORDER BY id LIMIT 10") run(f"SELECT id, priority, enum_range_boundary(NULL::{LEVEL}, CAST(priority AS {LEVEL})) FROM {TABLE} ORDER BY id LIMIT 10") run(f"SELECT id, priority, list_slice(enum_range(NULL::{LEVEL}), enum_code(CAST(priority AS {LEVEL})) + 1, 3) " f"FROM {TABLE} ORDER BY id LIMIT 10") ``` ``` [(1, 'low', ['low', 'mid', 'high']), (2, 'high', ['low', 'mid', 'high']), (3, 'mid', ['low', 'mid', 'high']), (4, None, ['low', 'mid', 'high']), (5, 'low', ['low', 'mid', 'high'])] [(1, 'low', ['low']), (2, 'high', ['low']), (3, 'mid', ['low']), (4, None, ['low']), (5, 'low', ['low'])] [(1, 'low', ['low', 'mid', 'high']), (2, 'high', ['high']), (3, 'mid', ['mid', 'high']), (4, None, None), (5, 'low', ['low', 'mid', 'high'])] ``` ## How it runs in VAST The Query Engine runs on the cluster's CNodes, and a query on a table starts with a scan in VAST DataBase (`VAST_SCAN`). VAST DataBase can evaluate a comparison of a column with a constant, but not a function of a column, so a condition that uses `enum_range_boundary()` is computed by the Query Engine: - **In the `SELECT` list,** the Query Engine computes the list for each row it returns. - **In `WHERE`,** the scan sends the column for every row, and a `FILTER` step in the Query Engine computes the condition and keeps the rows that match. No rows are skipped in storage. The plan of the `WHERE` example shows the `FILTER` step above the scan: ``` plan(f"SELECT id FROM {TABLE} WHERE list_contains(enum_range_boundary('mid'::{LEVEL}, NULL::{LEVEL}), priority)") ``` ``` ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ PROJECTION │ │ ──────────────────── │ │ #1 │ │ │ └─────────────┬─────────────┘ ┌─────────────┴─────────────┐ │ FILTER │ │ ──────────────────── │ │ list_contains(['mid', │ │ 'high'], priority) │ │ │ └─────────────┬─────────────┘ ┌─────────────┴─────────────┐ │ VAST_SCAN │ │ ──────────────────── │ │ Function: VAST_SCAN │ │ │ │ Projections: │ │ priority │ │ id │ │ │ └───────────────────────────┘ ``` ## Make it faster - **Store the position and compare it.** "`mid` or above" is `priority_code >= 1` when the table stores each value's [enum_code](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-code). That compares a column with a constant, which VAST DataBase evaluates, so rows that don't match never leave storage. The plan has no `FILTER` step: ``` plan(f"SELECT id FROM {TABLE} WHERE priority_code >= 1") ``` ``` ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ VAST_SCAN │ │ ──────────────────── │ │ Function: VAST_SCAN │ │ Projections: id │ │ │ └───────────────────────────┘ ``` ## Limitations and errors - **A column as `from` or `to` gives the same list on every row.** Pass constants, or use `list_slice` on [enum_range](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range) for a range per row (see [Examples](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range-boundary#examples)). - **One `ENUM` type.** Boundaries of two different `ENUM` types fail with `The parameters need to link to ONLY one enum OR be NULL`. A plain string, or two untyped NULLs, fails with `This function needs an ENUM as an argument`. - **Two arguments.** One argument fails with `No function matches the given name and argument types`; for every value, use [enum_range](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range). - **`ENUM` isn't a column type.** `CREATE TABLE` with an `ENUM` column fails with `ENUM type is not supported in table definitions`. Store the value as `VARCHAR` and cast in the query. - **The Python client can't read an `ENUM` value.** It fails with `Parser error: Cannot find a dictionary batch with dict id: 0`. `enum_range_boundary` returns `VARCHAR` values, so its result reads normally. ## Similar functions | Function | Result for `ENUM('low', 'mid', 'high')` | | --- | --- | | `enum_range_boundary('mid'::ENUM(...), NULL::ENUM(...))` | `['mid', 'high']` | | [enum_range](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range): `enum_range(NULL::ENUM(...))` | `['low', 'mid', 'high']` | | [enum_first](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-first): `enum_first(NULL::ENUM(...))` | `'low'` | | [enum_last](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-last): `enum_last(NULL::ENUM(...))` | `'high'` | | [enum_code](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-code): `enum_code('mid'::ENUM(...))` | `1` | ``` run(f"SELECT enum_range_boundary('mid'::{LEVEL}, NULL::{LEVEL}), enum_range(NULL::{LEVEL}), " f"enum_first(NULL::{LEVEL}), enum_last(NULL::{LEVEL}), enum_code('mid'::{LEVEL})") ``` ``` [(['mid', 'high'], ['low', 'mid', 'high'], 'low', 'high', 1)] ``` Clean up: ``` run(f"DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {TABLE}") run(f"DROP SCHEMA IF EXISTS {SCHEMA}") conn.close() ``` ``` [] [] ``` ## See also - [enum_range](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-enums-enum-range): every value of an `ENUM` type. - [Binary, hash and UUID functions](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-functions-binary-hash-uuid): all the enum functions. - [Where filters run](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-select#where-filters-run) and [pushdowns](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-pushdowns). - [EXPLAIN](/develop/docs/dev-database-reference-sql-explain): how to read a plan.