pg_settings
The view pg_settings provides access to run-time parameters of the server. It is essentially an alternative interface to the SHOW and SET commands. It also provides access to some facts about each parameter that are not directly available from SHOW, such as minimum and maximum values.
English manual coverage begins with PostgreSQL 7.4. Source history and runtime observations have their own recorded version boundaries.
Reading PG 18·Select a recorded version
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Definition PG 18
The view pg_settings provides access to run-time parameters of the server. It is essentially an alternative interface to the SHOW and SET commands. It also provides access to some facts about each parameter that are not directly available from SHOW, such as minimum and maximum values.
Catalog columns
| Column | Type | Nullability | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| name | text | Nullable | Run-time configuration parameter name |
| setting | text | Nullable | Current value of the parameter |
| unit | text | Nullable | Implicit unit of the parameter |
| category | text | Nullable | Logical group of the parameter |
| short_desc | text | Nullable | A brief description of the parameter |
| extra_desc | text | Nullable | Additional, more detailed, description of the parameter |
| context | text | Nullable | Context required to set the parameter's value (see below) |
| vartype | text | Nullable | Parameter type (bool, enum, integer, real, or string) |
| source | text | Nullable | Source of the current parameter value |
| min_val | text | Nullable | Minimum allowed value of the parameter (null for non-numeric values) |
| max_val | text | Nullable | Maximum allowed value of the parameter (null for non-numeric values) |
| enumvals | text[] | Nullable | Allowed values of an enum parameter (null for non-enum values) |
| boot_val | text | Nullable | Parameter value assumed at server startup if the parameter is not otherwise set |
| reset_val | text | Nullable | Value that RESET would reset the parameter to in the current session |
| sourcefile | text | Nullable | Configuration file the current value was set in (null for values set from sources other than configuration files, or when examined by a user who neither is a superuser nor has privileges of pg_read_all_settings); helpful when using include directives in configuration files |
| sourceline | int4 | Nullable | Line number within the configuration file the current value was set at (null for values set from sources other than configuration files, or when examined by a user who neither is a superuser nor has privileges of pg_read_all_settings). |
| pending_restart | bool | Nullable | true if the value has been changed in the configuration file but needs a restart; or false otherwise. |
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Source references
Full definition and evidence JSON
Definition sources
center · PostgreSQL 18 · catalog-bilingual-repair:bfe6db6dd45a4cd42bfa3939bba2d3669e998f86e4d403843dd31f6d8b4db30f
Text language: en · catalog-bilingual-repair:bfe6db6dd45a4cd42bfa3939bba2d3669e998f86e4d403843dd31f6d8b4db30f