How to include null values in `tablefunc` query in postgresql?

Question

I'm trying to use the crosstab function in postgresql to create a pivot table. However, I'm having difficulty understanding how to structure my SQL within the query. My data consists of four columns and looks like this:

I create this table using the following code:

CREATE TABLE ct(id SERIAL, zone_id int, group_id int, area double precision);
INSERT INTO ct(zone_id, group_id, area) VALUES(1,2,6798.50754160784);
INSERT INTO ct(zone_id, group_id, area) VALUES(1,3,10197.7613124118);
INSERT INTO ct(zone_id, group_id, area) VALUES(2,1,85708.8676744647);
INSERT INTO ct(zone_id, group_id, area) VALUES(2,2,56006.5971338327);
INSERT INTO ct(zone_id, group_id, area) VALUES(2,3,5584.33145616642);
INSERT INTO ct(zone_id, group_id, area) VALUES(2,5,8611.99732832252);
INSERT INTO ct(zone_id, group_id, area) VALUES(2,6,36103.5509183704);
INSERT INTO ct(zone_id, group_id, area) VALUES(2,8,9801.14541428806);
INSERT INTO ct(zone_id, group_id, area) VALUES(5,1,45796.0020793546);

And following the postgresql documentation closely, I use the following code in my crosstab query:

SELECT *
FROM crosstab(
  'select zone_id, group_id, area
   from ct
   ')
AS ct(row_name integer, 
      g_1 double precision, 
      g_2 double precision, 
      g_3 double precision, 
      g_4 double precision, 
      g_5 double precision, 
      g_6 double precision, 
      g_7 double precision, 
      g_8 double precision);

This results in the following table which is not what I want them to be:

For example, in row two, I want the following values:

85708.8676744647, 56006.5971338327, 5584.33145616642, NULL, 8611.99732832252, 36103.5509183704, NULL, 9801.14541428806

Instead the values are:

85708.8676744647, 56006.5971338327, 5584.33145616642, 8611.99732832252, 36103.5509183704, 9801.14541428806

However, it seems that the null values are ignored, so that my column names g1 to g8, do not correspond to the original groups.

Answer 1

Use the crosstab() variant with two parameters:

SELECT * FROM crosstab(
   'SELECT zone_id, group_id, area
    FROM   ct
    ORDER  BY 1,2'

   ,'SELECT g FROM generate_series(1,8) g'  -- ! Provide values explicitly
   )
AS ct(
     row_name integer
   , g_1 float8, g_2 float8
   , g_3 float8, g_4 float8
   , g_5 float8, g_6 float8
   , g_7 float8, g_8 float8);

Thereby declaring explicitly which value goes in which output column. So the function knows where to fill in NULL values. In this case generate_series() comes in handy to provide 8 rows with the numbers 1-8. A VALUES expression would be an alternative:

'VALUES (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8)'

Also, don't forget the ORDER BY clause in the first parameter query.

I provided a detailed explanation in this related answer.

Answer 2

I can't make it work in the Demo as I can't create the tablefunc extension but it works in my desktop running 9.2.1:

SELECT *
FROM crosstab(' 
    select 
        s.zone_id, s.group_id, area
    from 
        ct
        right join (
            (select distinct zone_id from ct) z(zone_id)
            cross join
            generate_series(1, 8) g(group_id)
        ) s on s.group_id = ct.group_id and s.zone_id = ct.zone_id
    order by s.zone_id, s.group_id
') AS ct (
    row_name integer, 
    g_1 double precision, 
    g_2 double precision, 
    g_3 double precision, 
    g_4 double precision, 
    g_5 double precision, 
    g_6 double precision, 
    g_7 double precision, 
    g_8 double precision
);