postgresql/doc/src/sgml/ref/set.sgml
Tom Lane ca4af308c3 Simplify handling of the timezone GUC by making initdb choose the default.
We were doing some amazingly complicated things in order to avoid running
the very expensive identify_system_timezone() procedure during GUC
initialization.  But there is an obvious fix for that, which is to do it
once during initdb and have initdb install the system-specific default into
postgresql.conf, as it already does for most other GUC variables that need
system-environment-dependent defaults.  This means that the timezone (and
log_timezone) settings no longer have any magic behavior in the server.
Per discussion.
2011-09-09 17:59:11 -04:00

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<!--
doc/src/sgml/ref/set.sgml
PostgreSQL documentation
-->
<refentry id="SQL-SET">
<refmeta>
<refentrytitle>SET</refentrytitle>
<manvolnum>7</manvolnum>
<refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
<refname>SET</refname>
<refpurpose>change a run-time parameter</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>
<indexterm zone="sql-set">
<primary>SET</primary>
</indexterm>
<refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
SET [ SESSION | LOCAL ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">configuration_parameter</replaceable> { TO | = } { <replaceable class="PARAMETER">value</replaceable> | '<replaceable class="PARAMETER">value</replaceable>' | DEFAULT }
SET [ SESSION | LOCAL ] TIME ZONE { <replaceable class="PARAMETER">timezone</replaceable> | LOCAL | DEFAULT }
</synopsis>
</refsynopsisdiv>
<refsect1>
<title>Description</title>
<para>
The <command>SET</command> command changes run-time configuration
parameters. Many of the run-time parameters listed in
<xref linkend="runtime-config"> can be changed on-the-fly with
<command>SET</command>.
(But some require superuser privileges to change, and others cannot
be changed after server or session start.)
<command>SET</command> only affects the value used by the current
session.
</para>
<para>
If <command>SET</command> (or equivalently <command>SET SESSION</command>)
is issued within a transaction that is later aborted, the effects of the
<command>SET</command> command disappear when the transaction is rolled
back. Once the surrounding transaction is committed, the effects
will persist until the end of the session, unless overridden by another
<command>SET</command>.
</para>
<para>
The effects of <command>SET LOCAL</command> last only till the end of
the current transaction, whether committed or not. A special case is
<command>SET</command> followed by <command>SET LOCAL</command> within
a single transaction: the <command>SET LOCAL</command> value will be
seen until the end of the transaction, but afterwards (if the transaction
is committed) the <command>SET</command> value will take effect.
</para>
<para>
The effects of <command>SET</command> or <command>SET LOCAL</command> are
also canceled by rolling back to a savepoint that is earlier than the
command.
</para>
<para>
If <command>SET LOCAL</command> is used within a function that has a
<literal>SET</> option for the same variable (see
<xref linkend="sql-createfunction">),
the effects of the <command>SET LOCAL</command> command disappear at
function exit; that is, the value in effect when the function was called is
restored anyway. This allows <command>SET LOCAL</command> to be used for
dynamic or repeated changes of a parameter within a function, while still
having the convenience of using the <literal>SET</> option to save and
restore the caller's value. However, a regular <command>SET</> command
overrides any surrounding function's <literal>SET</> option; its effects
will persist unless rolled back.
</para>
<note>
<para>
In <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> versions 8.0 through 8.2,
the effects of a <command>SET LOCAL</command> would be canceled by
releasing an earlier savepoint, or by successful exit from a
<application>PL/pgSQL</application> exception block. This behavior
has been changed because it was deemed unintuitive.
</para>
</note>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Parameters</title>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>SESSION</></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Specifies that the command takes effect for the current session.
(This is the default if neither <literal>SESSION</> nor
<literal>LOCAL</> appears.)
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>LOCAL</></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Specifies that the command takes effect for only the current
transaction. After <command>COMMIT</> or <command>ROLLBACK</>,
the session-level setting takes effect again. Note that
<command>SET LOCAL</> will appear to have no effect if it is
executed outside a <command>BEGIN</> block, since the
transaction will end immediately.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">configuration_parameter</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Name of a settable run-time parameter. Available parameters are
documented in <xref linkend="runtime-config"> and below.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">value</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
New value of parameter. Values can be specified as string
constants, identifiers, numbers, or comma-separated lists of
these, as appropriate for the particular parameter.
<literal>DEFAULT</literal> can be written to specify
resetting the parameter to its default value (that is, whatever
value it would have had if no <command>SET</> had been executed
in the current session).
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
<para>
Besides the configuration parameters documented in <xref
linkend="runtime-config">, there are a few that can only be
adjusted using the <command>SET</command> command or that have a
special syntax:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>SCHEMA</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para><literal>SET SCHEMA '<replaceable>value</>'</> is an alias for
<literal>SET search_path TO <replaceable>value</></>. Only one
schema can be specified using this syntax.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>NAMES</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para><literal>SET NAMES <replaceable>value</></> is an alias for
<literal>SET client_encoding TO <replaceable>value</></>.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>SEED</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Sets the internal seed for the random number generator (the
function <function>random</function>). Allowed values are
floating-point numbers between -1 and 1, which are then
multiplied by 2<superscript>31</>-1.
</para>
<para>
The seed can also be set by invoking the function
<function>setseed</function>:
<programlisting>
SELECT setseed(<replaceable>value</replaceable>);
</programlisting></para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>TIME ZONE</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para><literal>SET TIME ZONE <replaceable>value</></> is an alias
for <literal>SET timezone TO <replaceable>value</></>. The
syntax <literal>SET TIME ZONE</literal> allows special syntax
for the time zone specification. Here are examples of valid
values:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>'PST8PDT'</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para>
The time zone for Berkeley, California.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>'Europe/Rome'</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para>
The time zone for Italy.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>-7</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para>
The time zone 7 hours west from UTC (equivalent
to PDT). Positive values are east from UTC.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>INTERVAL '-08:00' HOUR TO MINUTE</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para>
The time zone 8 hours west from UTC (equivalent
to PST).
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><literal>LOCAL</literal></term>
<term><literal>DEFAULT</literal></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Set the time zone to your local time zone (that is, the
server's default value of <varname>timezone</>).
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
See <xref linkend="datatype-timezones"> for more information
about time zones.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Notes</title>
<para>
The function <function>set_config</function> provides equivalent
functionality; see <xref linkend="functions-admin">.
Also, it is possible to UPDATE the
<link linkend="view-pg-settings"><structname>pg_settings</structname></link>
system view to perform the equivalent of <command>SET</>.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Examples</title>
<para>
Set the schema search path:
<programlisting>
SET search_path TO my_schema, public;
</programlisting>
</para>
<para>
Set the style of date to traditional
<productname>POSTGRES</productname> with <quote>day before month</>
input convention:
<screen>
SET datestyle TO postgres, dmy;
</screen>
</para>
<para>
Set the time zone for Berkeley, California:
<screen>
SET TIME ZONE 'PST8PDT';
</screen>
</para>
<para>
Set the time zone for Italy:
<screen>
SET TIME ZONE 'Europe/Rome';
</screen></para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Compatibility</title>
<para>
<literal>SET TIME ZONE</literal> extends syntax defined in the SQL
standard. The standard allows only numeric time zone offsets while
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> allows more flexible
time-zone specifications. All other <literal>SET</literal>
features are <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> extensions.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>See Also</title>
<simplelist type="inline">
<member><xref linkend="SQL-RESET"></member>
<member><xref linkend="SQL-SHOW"></member>
</simplelist>
</refsect1>
</refentry>