Dynamic Column Label in Postgres 9.5 I am using postgres 9.5 and have built the following function:

CREATE or REPLACE FUNCTION func_getratio_laglag(_numeratorLAG text, _n1 int, _denominatorLAG text, _n2 int, _table text)
    RETURNS TABLE (date_t timestamp without time zone, customer_code text, index text, ratio real) AS
$BODY$
BEGIN
 RETURN QUERY EXECUTE 
        'SELECT 
    date_t,
    customer_code,
    index,
        (LAG('||quote_ident(_numeratorLAG)||',' || quote_literal(_n1)||') OVER W / LAG('||quote_ident(_denominatorLAG)||','|| quote_literal(_n2)||') OVER W) '
         || ' FROM ' || quote_ident(_table) 
         || ' WINDOW W AS (PARTITION BY customer_code ORDER BY date_t asc);';
END;
$BODY$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;


All the function does is allow me the ability to pick a 2 different columns from a specified table and calculate a ratio between them based on different lag windows. To execute the function above I use the following query:

Select * FROM func_getratio_laglag('order_first',1,'order_last',0,'customers_hist');


The output of this gives me a table with the column labels date_t, customer_code, index and ratio. I have really struggled on how to output ratio as a dynamic column label. That is, I would like to make it contingent on the input parameters e.g. if I ran the select query above then I would like the column labels date_t, customer_code, index and order_first_1_order_last_0.

I am stuck, any advice or hints?
How to derive a column name in the return type from input parameters to the function?


The short answer: Not possible.
SQL is very rigid about column data types and names. Those have to be declared before or at call time at the latest. No exceptions. No truly dynamic column names.

For a couple of possible workarounds see the answer to the duplicate question on SO:


How to derive a column name in the return type from input parameters to the function?