---
name: "set"
section: "7"
platform: "linux"
package: "postgresql"
version: "7.4.7-6sarge6"
release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/set/7"
---

# set(7)

change a run-time parameter

## NAME

SET - change a run-time parameter

## SYNOPSIS

```
SET [ SESSION | LOCAL ] name { TO | = } { value | 'value' | DEFAULT }
SET [ SESSION | LOCAL ] TIME ZONE { timezone | LOCAL | DEFAULT }

```

## DESCRIPTION

The **SET** command changes run-time configuration parameters. Many of the run-time parameters listed in the section called \`\`Run-time Configuration'' in the documentation can be changed on-the-fly with **SET**. (But some require superuser privileges to change, and others cannot be changed after server or session start.) **SET** only affects the value used by the current session.

If **SET** or **SET SESSION** is issued within a transaction that is later aborted, the effects of the **SET** command disappear when the transaction is rolled back. (This behavior represents a change from PostgreSQL versions prior to 7.3, where the effects of **SET** would not roll back after a later error.) Once the surrounding transaction is committed, the effects will persist until the end of the session, unless overridden by another **SET**.

The effects of **SET LOCAL** last only till the end of the current transaction, whether committed or not. A special case is **SET** followed by **SET LOCAL** within a single transaction: the **SET LOCAL** value will be seen until the end of the transaction, but afterwards (if the transaction is committed) the **SET** value will take effect.

## PARAMETERS

- **SESSION**

  Specifies that the command takes effect for the current session. (This is the default if neither SESSION nor LOCAL appears.)

- **LOCAL**

  Specifies that the command takes effect for only the current transaction. After **COMMIT** or **ROLLBACK**, the session-level setting takes effect again. Note that **SET LOCAL** will appear to have no effect if it is executed outside a **BEGIN** block, since the transaction will end immediately.

- *name*

  Name of a settable run-time parameter. Available parameters are documented in the section called \`\`Run-time Configuration'' in the documentation and below.

- *value*

  New value of parameter. Values can be specified as string constants, identifiers, numbers, or comma-separated lists of these. DEFAULT can be used to specify resetting the parameter to its default value.

Besides the configuration parameters documented in the section called \`\`Run-time Configuration'' in the documentation, there are a few that can only be adjusted using the **SET** command or that have a special syntax:

- **NAMES**

  SET NAMES *value* is an alias for SET client\_encoding TO *value*.

- **SEED**

  Sets the internal seed for the random number generator (the function **random**). Allowed values are floating-point numbers between 0 and 1, which are then multiplied by 231-1.

  The seed can also be set by invoking the function **setseed**:

  ```
  SELECT setseed(value);

  ```

- **TIME ZONE**

  SET TIME ZONE *value* is an alias for SET timezone TO *value*. The syntax SET TIME ZONE allows special syntax for the time zone specification. Here are examples of valid values (but note some are accepted only on some platforms):

  - **'PST8PDT'**

    The time zone for Berkeley, California.

  - **'Portugal'**

    The time zone for Portugal.

  - **'Europe/Rome'**

    The time zone for Italy.

  - **-7**

    The time zone 7 hours west from UTC (equivalent to PDT). Positive values are east from UTC.

  - **INTERVAL '-08:00' HOUR TO MINUTE**

    The time zone 8 hours west from UTC (equivalent to PST).

  - **LOCAL**

    - **DEFAULT**

    Set the time zone to your local time zone (the one that the server's operating system defaults to).

See the section called \`\`Date/Time Types'' in the documentation for more information about time zones.

## NOTES

The function **set\_config** provides equivalent functionality. See the section called \`\`Miscellaneous Functions'' in the documentation.

## EXAMPLES

Set the schema search path:

```
SET search_path TO my_schema, public;

```

Set the style of date to traditional POSTGRES with \`\`day before month'' input convention:

```
SET datestyle TO postgres, dmy;

```

Set the time zone for Berkeley, California, using quotes to preserve the uppercase spelling of the time zone name:

```
SET TIME ZONE 'PST8PDT';
SELECT current_timestamp AS today;
             today
-------------------------------
 2003-04-29 15:02:01.218622-07

```

## COMPATIBILITY

SET TIME ZONE extends syntax defined in the SQL standard. The standard allows only numeric time zone offsets while PostgreSQL allows more flexible time-zone specifications. All other SET features are PostgreSQL extensions.

## SEE ALSO

RESET \[[**reset**(7)](/reset/7.md)\], SHOW \[**show**(l)\]