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Overview

VillageSQL’s extension framework allows you to add custom functionality to the database server. Build custom extensions using the VEF SDK and extension template.

What is a VillageSQL Extension?

A VillageSQL extension is packaged as a VEB file (VillageSQL Extension Bundle) containing:
  • Manifest - Metadata about the extension (name, version, description)
  • Shared library - Compiled C++ code implementing the functionality
  • Optional metadata - Additional resources or configuration
Extensions are built using the VEF SDK (VillageSQL Extension Framework), which provides:
  • C++ API for defining types and functions
  • Automatic registration without SQL scripts
  • Type-safe function wrappers
  • Builder pattern for extension definition
VDFs vs Traditional UDFs: Functions registered through the VEF SDK are called VDFs (VillageSQL Defined Functions). VillageSQL also supports traditional MySQL UDFs registered via CREATE FUNCTION ... SONAME, but the VEF SDK approach is recommended for new extensions.

Calling VDFs in SQL

VDFs can be called with or without the extension prefix:
Function Resolution Order: When you call a function without qualification, VillageSQL resolves it in this order:
  1. System functions (built-in MySQL functions like NOW(), CONCAT())
  2. UDFs (traditional MySQL user-defined functions)
  3. VDFs (extension functions) - only if there’s exactly one function with that name
  4. Stored functions (created with CREATE FUNCTION)
When to Use Qualified Names:
  • Use extension.function_name when multiple extensions provide functions with the same name
  • Use unqualified names for cleaner code when there’s no ambiguity
  • Qualification is never required if only one extension provides that function name
Extensions can add:
  • Custom functions (VDFs) - SQL functions with automatic type checking and validation
  • Custom data types - New column types like COMPLEX, UUID, or VECTOR that work with ORDER BY and indexes
  • Type operations - Encode, decode, compare, and hash functions for custom types

Prerequisites

Before you begin, build VillageSQL from source — extensions link against the server’s SDK headers and build tree. Follow the Clone and Build from Source guide first. You also need:
  • Git - For cloning and version control
  • CMake 3.16 or higher - Build system
  • C++ Compiler - GCC 8+, Clang 8+, or MSVC 2019+ with C++11 support
  • Basic C++ knowledge - Understanding of C++ and function pointers

Step 1: Get the Extension Template

You can start with the extension template in two ways:

Option A: Use Template from VillageSQL Source

If you have VillageSQL source code, the template is included:

Option B: Fork from GitHub

Start by forking the VillageSQL extension template repository:
  1. Visit the template repository on GitHub:
  2. Click the “Fork” button to create your own copy
  3. Clone your fork locally:
Alternatively, use the “Use this template” button on GitHub to create a new repository based on the template without forking history.

Step 2: Update the Manifest

Edit manifest.json to define your extension’s metadata:
The $schema field is optional but enables IDE autocomplete and inline validation for all manifest fields.

manifest.json Schema

Validation rules:
  • name: Must start with a letter and end with a letter or digit. May contain lowercase letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens. Max 64 characters. Use underscores — hyphens require backtick quoting in SQL.
  • version: Must follow semantic versioning (e.g., 1.0.0, 0.2.1)
  • Invalid manifest will cause INSTALL EXTENSION to fail
Example:
For the full naming convention across SQL, filenames, and repository names, see Extension Naming Conventions.

Step 3: Implement Your Extension with VEF SDK

The VEF SDK provides a C++ API for defining extensions using a fluent builder pattern:
  • Type-safe function definitions with compile-time checking
  • Automatic argument validation and type conversion
  • Support for custom types with compare/hash functions (enables ORDER BY and indexes)

Include VillageSQL Headers

Create your main extension file (e.g., src/extension.cc) and include the VEF SDK:

Define Your Extension

Use the VEF_GENERATE_ENTRY_POINTS() macro to define your extension:
Function Builder Methods:
  • make_func<&impl>("name") - Create function with implementation pointer
  • .returns(type) - Set return type (STRING, INT, REAL, or custom type name)
  • .param(type) - Add parameter (maximum 8 parameters)
  • .buffer_size(size_t) - Request specific output buffer size for STRING/CUSTOM returns
  • .deterministic(bool = true) - Declare that this function always returns the same output for the same inputs and has no side effects. Default is non-deterministic.
  • .prerun<func>() - Set per-statement setup function (optional)
  • .postrun<func>() - Set per-statement cleanup function (optional)
  • .build() - Finalize function registration
Parameter Limit: Functions support a maximum of 8 parameters (defined by kMaxParams). If you need more, consider using structured types or multiple functions.

VDFs with Custom Type Arguments and Return Values

A VDF can take and return custom type values using .param(TYPE_NAME) and .returns(TYPE_NAME) in the builder. The implementation uses CustomArg for input and CustomResult for output — the same wrappers used for type operations:
Register with .param(COMPLEX) and .returns(COMPLEX):
See the development guide for the full CustomArg/CustomResult API, including CustomArgWith<P> and CustomResultWith<P> for parameterized types.

Deterministic Functions

By default, VDFs are registered as non-deterministic. A non-deterministic function is blocked from three SQL contexts: generated columns, CHECK constraints, and expression default values (DEFAULT (expr) on a column) — using any of these features with a non-deterministic VDF returns an error. If your function always produces the same output for the same inputs and has no side effects, you can declare it deterministic by adding .deterministic() to the builder chain. The optimizer may use this information to evaluate the function once per statement and reuse the value across rows, rather than calling it per row. Incorrectly marking a non-deterministic function as deterministic can therefore cause the server to return the same result for inputs that should produce different outputs. Only add .deterministic() when your function truly has no dependency on external state, randomness, or time. Builder signature: .deterministic(bool d = true) — the zero-argument form defaults to true. Example:
Because complex_add is declared deterministic, it can be used in a generated column definition:

Custom Buffer Sizes

For functions returning variable-length data, request a specific buffer size:
Check available buffer space before writing:
Request sufficient buffer size via .buffer_size() based on your function’s maximum output size.

Critical API Contracts

These contracts govern how VDF implementation functions interact with the VEF runtime. Every function registered via make_func<> must follow them. The types referenced below are defined in #include <villagesql/extension.h>.

Part A: VDF Function Contracts

1. VDF implementation functions are void — they never return a value. The server calls your function through this typedef:
Extension authors write the per-argument form that the SDK wrapper bridges to this ABI:
Communicate success, NULL, or error exclusively through result->type. 2. Set result->type to exactly one of the four result constants. Four constants exist in vef_return_value_type_t: There are no type-specific variants. VEF_RESULT_VALUE is the single success constant for strings, integers, reals, and custom types alike. The type of output is determined by which union field you write to (str_buf, int_value, real_value, bin_buf). 3. Check input->is_null before reading any other field on an input argument. If is_null is true, every other field on that vef_invalue_t is undefined. Accessing str_value, int_value, or any other field without checking is_null first is undefined behavior.
4. For string results, write to result->str_buf and set result->actual_len. Check result->max_str_len before writing.
  • result->str_buf is a server-managed buffer. Write your output here.
  • result->actual_len must be set to the number of bytes written. There is no field named str_len on the result struct.
  • result->max_str_len is the size of str_buf in bytes. Always check it before writing. Do not use sizeof(result->str_buf).
5. Write error messages to result->error_msg, not to result->str_buf. Use VEF_MAX_ERROR_LEN (512 bytes) as the snprintf size limit. error_msg is a separate, caller-provided buffer dedicated to error text. It is independent of str_buf. The maximum size including the null terminator is VEF_MAX_ERROR_LEN (512).

Part B: Encode and Decode Return Convention

The bool return convention applies only to encode and decode function pointers used by custom types. It does not apply to VDF-name type operations (which use the standard VDF void convention) or to VDF implementation functions.
Both functions return bool where:
  • false = success (the operation completed without error)
  • true = error (the conversion failed)
The encode/decode return convention is inverted from what most developers expect. false means success, true means error. This follows the general convention of MySQL internal C/C++ APIs, which frequently return 0 (false) for success. Double-check every return statement in your encode and decode implementations.

Implement Wrapper Functions

Implementation functions use the VEF API signature:

Handling NULL Values

Check for NULL via the is_null flag and return NULL by setting the result type:
NULL handling options:
  • Input NULL check: if (input->is_null)
  • Return NULL: result->type = VEF_RESULT_NULL
  • Return value: result->type = VEF_RESULT_VALUE + write to type-specific buffer
  • Return warning: result->type = VEF_RESULT_WARNING + warning message in result->error_msg (returns NULL for this row, adds SQL warning, continues execution; in strict mode, MySQL promotes this to an error on INSERT/UPDATE)
  • Return error: result->type = VEF_RESULT_ERROR + error message in result->error_msg

Error Handling

Return errors with custom messages for validation failures or invalid input:
Result types:
  • VEF_RESULT_VALUE - Success
  • VEF_RESULT_NULL - NULL value
  • VEF_RESULT_WARNING - Row-level warning (returns NULL, adds SQL warning, continues execution; strict mode promotes to error on INSERT/UPDATE)
  • VEF_RESULT_ERROR - Fatal error (aborts statement execution)

Step 4: Creating Custom Types

Custom types allow you to define new column types that work seamlessly with SQL operations like ORDER BY, GROUP BY, and indexes.

Define Type Operations

Every custom type needs encode, decode, and compare operations, and optionally a hash operation. There are two ways to provide these: VDF names (VEF_PROTOCOL_2 or later, recommended) or function pointers. For each operation, provide one or the other — not both. VDF names — reference VDFs from the same extension by name (see VDF-Name Type Operations):
Function pointers (false = success, true = error — see Part B):

Register the Type

Using VDF names (VEF_PROTOCOL_2 required; see VDF-Name Type Operations):
The named VDFs must also be registered with .func() in the same extension. Using function pointers:

VDF-Name Type Operations

Each VDF named via .encode(), .decode(), .compare(), or .hash() must be registered with the matching make_type_* builder in the same extension: VDF-name operations use the bool return convention (false = success, true = error), same as function-pointer encode/decode. See development.mdx — Type Operation Builders for the full C++ signatures.

ALTER TABLE and Custom Types

ALTER TABLE ... MODIFY COLUMN and CHANGE COLUMN enforce these rules when custom types are involved:

Type Conversion Functions

Expose your encode/decode functions as SQL functions for explicit type conversion:
Usage in SQL:
The .from_string<>() and .to_string<>() builders automatically create SQL-callable conversion functions using your encode/decode implementations.
When explicit conversion is required. VillageSQL implicitly converts a string literal to a custom type on direct column assignment, so INSERT INTO t (val) VALUES ('(1.0,2.0)') works without an explicit call. But expressions that resolve to STRING type — CASE expressions, CONCAT, and similar — are not implicitly coerced. Wrap them with the from_string VDF:

Example: COMPLEX Type

Here’s a complete example implementing a COMPLEX number type:
After defining these operations, users can create tables with your custom type:

VDFs in Generated Columns

VDFs can be used in generated column expressions. The VDF must be declared .deterministic() in the extension builder — the server blocks non-deterministic functions in this context.
complex_abs must be registered with .deterministic(). Traditional MySQL UDFs are not permitted in generated columns.
See vsql_complex Example for the complete implementation.

VDFs in Functional Indexes

VDFs can be used in functional index expressions. The same .deterministic() requirement from generated columns applies here because MySQL implements functional indexes as hidden generated columns.
The optimizer uses the index when the same VDF expression appears in WHERE, ORDER BY, or GROUP BY. Cast the comparison value to the VDF’s return type so the optimizer matches the expression:

Step 5: Update Build Configuration

Edit CMakeLists.txt to build your extension as a VEB file:
Configuration notes:
  • VillageSQLExtensionFramework provides CMake helpers for building extensions
  • VEF_CREATE_VEB() packages your library, manifest, and metadata into a .veb archive
  • The framework automatically detects MySQL/VillageSQL build flags
  • Library target name is typically extension (can be anything)
  • VEB name must match your manifest.json name
  • By default, extensions build against the stable ABI headers. Set -DVSQL_USE_DEV_ABI=ON to build against the unstable dev headers instead

Step 6: Create a Build Directory

Create a separate build directory:

Step 7: Build with CMake and Make

Configure and build your extension:
This creates:
  • Compiled shared library (.so file)
  • VEB package (.veb file) - a tar archive containing manifest and library

Verify the Build

Check the contents of your VEB file:
You should see:

Step 8: Install and Test

Option A: Install to VillageSQL Extensions Directory

Use the install target to copy the VEB to your VillageSQL installation:
This copies the .veb file to the directory configured via VillageSQL_VEB_INSTALL_DIR.

Option B: Manual Installation

Copy the VEB file manually:

Test Your Extension

  1. Connect to VillageSQL:
  2. Install the extension:
  3. Verify installation:
  4. Test your functions:

Creating Tests

Add test files to validate your extension works correctly:
  1. Create a test file in test/t/:
  2. Generate expected results:
  3. Run tests:

Advanced Topics

Per-Statement State with Prerun/Postrun

For VEF SDK functions that need setup/cleanup per SQL statement (not per row):
Most extensions don’t need prerun/postrun hooks. The VEF SDK automatically handles common cases like type checking and buffer allocation. Use prerun/postrun only when you need expensive per-statement setup (like opening connections) that shouldn’t happen per-row.If you find you need prerun/postrun for your use case, please share your scenario on the VillageSQL Discord - the team may be able to add SDK support to handle it automatically.

Aggregate Functions

Only COUNT(DISTINCT), MIN, MAX, and GROUP_CONCAT are supported for custom types. SUM, AVG, and other aggregate functions are not.
Supported aggregate operations with custom types:
Extension functions are called in a per-row execution model:
  • Each function call processes one row with its own result buffer (thread-safe)
  • prerun/postrun provide per-statement setup/teardown
  • Avoid global state - use function parameters and return values instead
  • If you must use global state, protect it with mutexes/locks
Best practice: Design functions to be stateless for simplicity and safety.

Window Functions

The following window functions work with custom types:

Temporary Tables

Custom types work in temporary tables. CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE, INSERT, and ALTER TABLE behave the same as with permanent tables.

Triggers

Triggers fire on tables with custom type columns. The trigger body can reference non-custom-type columns from NEW and OLD. Accessing custom type column values inside a trigger body is not yet supported.

Troubleshooting

Extension Won’t Load

Check the error log and verify the VEB contents:

Function Not Found

Verify installation and registration:

Build Errors

Example Extensions

Learn from existing VillageSQL extensions:

vsql_complex

Complex number data type implementation

vsql_extension_template

Minimal template for creating extensions

Next Steps

Using Extensions

Learn how to install and manage extensions

Clone and Build from Source

Build VillageSQL from source code

GitHub

Contribute to VillageSQL Server

MySQL UDF API

MySQL UDF API reference documentation

Resources