---
title: "SPI_getvalue"
id: spi-spi-getvalue
pg_version: "20devel"
---

<a id="spi-spi-getvalue"></a>

# SPI_getvalue — return the string value of the specified column

## Synopsis

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

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## 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.) 

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## Arguments

**`HeapTuple row`**

 input row to be examined **`TupleDesc rowdesc`**

 input row description **`int colnumber`**

 column number (count starts at 1) <a id="id-1.8.12.9.6.7"></a>

## 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`).