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The Colon

Since HugSQL has commandeered the colon : for use, you will need to escape a colon with a backslash if you actually need a colon in your SQL. Escaping a colon will prevent HugSQL from interpreting the colon as the start of a HugSQL parameter. For example, Postgresql array ranges use colons:

select my_arr[1\:3] from ...

BUT, HugSQL does make one exception to the colon-escaping necessity in regard to the Postgresql's historical type-casting syntax that uses a double-colon :: to indicate a Postgresql data type. So, HugSQL properly leaves alone a double-colon:

select id::text ...
... where id = :id::bigint
-- with the param type specified
... where id = :v:id::bigint