Contents
SET
A utility command for changing a run-time parameter
SET is a utility command for changing a run-time system parameter.
SET was added in PostgreSQL 6.1.
Usage
In its basic form, SET is used to modify a run-tme system parameter in the context of a session or transaction within that session using the following syntax:
SETparameter[ TO | = ]value
Note that the function set_config() provides equivalent functionality to SET.
SET also provides specific syntax invocations for a subset of parameters, partially for SQL compatibility reasons; these are:
SET NAMESSET SCHEMASET SEEDSET TIME ZONE
There are also a number of unrelated SET ... commands; these are discussed in separate entries:
SET CONSTRAINTSSET ROLESET SESSION AUTHORIZATIONSET TRANSACTION
Change history
Work-in-progress
- PostgreSQL 15
- PostgreSQL 7.3
SET [ SESSION | LOCAL ]syntax added (commit f0811a74)
- PostgreSQL 6.4
SET NAMESsyntax added (commit bf00bbb0)
- PostgreSQL 6.1
- added (initial commit a51df14a)
Examples
Basic usage example for SET:
postgres=# SET application_name TO 'foo'; SET postgres=# SHOW application_name; application_name ------------------ foo (1 row)
The = character can be used in place of TO:
postgres=# SET application_name = 'bar'; SET postgres=# SHOW application_name; application_name ------------------ bar (1 row)
Reset the parameter to its original value with DEFAULT:
postgres=# SET application_name TO DEFAULT; -- equivalent to "RESET application_name" SET postgres=# SHOW application_name; application_name ------------------ psql (1 row)
References
- PostgreSQL documentation: SET