markdown/reference/sql/SET.html.md.erb

---
title: SET
---

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Changes the value of a HAWQ configuration parameter.

## <a id="topic1__section2"></a>Synopsis

``` pre
SET [SESSION | LOCAL] <configuration_parameter> {TO | =} {<value> | '<value>' | DEFAULT}
SET [SESSION | LOCAL] TIME ZONE {<timezone> | LOCAL | DEFAULT}
```

## <a id="topic1__section3"></a>Description

The `SET` command changes server configuration parameters. Any configuration parameter classified as a *session* parameter can be changed on-the-fly with `SET`. See [About Server Configuration Parameters](../guc/guc_config.html#topic1). `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. 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` only last 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.

## <a id="topic1__section4"></a>Parameters

<dt>SESSION  </dt>
<dd>Specifies that the command takes effect for the current session. This is the default.</dd>

<dt>LOCAL  </dt>
<dd>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 of a transaction.</dd>

<dt> \<configuration\_parameter\>  </dt>
<dd>The name of a HAWQ configuration parameter. Only parameters classified as *session* can be changed with `SET`. See [About Server Configuration Parameters](../guc/guc_config.html#topic1).</dd>

<dt> \<value\>  </dt>
<dd>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. If specifying memory sizing or time units, enclose the value in single quotes.</dd>

<dt>TIME ZONE  </dt>
<dd>`SET TIME ZONE` value is an alias for `SET timezone TO                         value`.

<dt>LOCAL,  
DEFAULT  </dt>
<dd>Set the time zone to your local time zone (the one that the server's operating system defaults to).</dd>

<dt> \<timezone\>  </dt>
<dd>The \<timezone\> specification. Examples of syntactically valid values:

`'PST8PDT'`

`'Europe/Rome'`

`-7` (time zone 7 hours west from UTC)

`INTERVAL '-08:00' HOUR TO MINUTE` (time zone 8 hours west from UTC).</dd>
</dd>

## <a id="topic1__section5"></a>Examples

Set the schema search path:

``` sql
SET search_path TO my_schema, public;
```

Set the style of date to traditional POSTGRES with "day before month" input convention:

``` sql
SET datestyle TO postgres, dmy;
```

Set the time zone for San Mateo, California (Pacific Time):

``` sql
SET TIME ZONE 'PST8PDT';
```

Set the time zone for Italy:

``` sql
SET TIME ZONE 'Europe/Rome';
```

## <a id="topic1__section6"></a>Compatibility

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

## <a id="topic1__section7"></a>See Also

[RESET](RESET.html), [SHOW](SHOW.html)