NAME

       SET_ROLE - set the current user identifier of the current session

SYNOPSIS

       SET [ SESSION | LOCAL ] ROLE role_name
       SET [ SESSION | LOCAL ] ROLE NONE
       RESET ROLE

DESCRIPTION

       This command sets the current user identifier of the current SQL session to be role_name. The role name
       can be written as either an identifier or a string literal. After SET ROLE, permissions checking for SQL
       commands is carried out as though the named role were the one that had logged in originally.

       The specified role_name must be a role that the current session user is a member of. (If the session user
       is a superuser, any role can be selected.)

       The SESSION and LOCAL modifiers act the same as for the regular SET(7) command.

       The NONE and RESET forms reset the current user identifier to be the current session user identifier.
       These forms can be executed by any user.

NOTES

       Using this command, it is possible to either add privileges or restrict one's privileges. If the session
       user role has the INHERIT attribute, then it automatically has all the privileges of every role that it
       could SET ROLE to; in this case SET ROLE effectively drops all the privileges assigned directly to the
       session user and to the other roles it is a member of, leaving only the privileges available to the named
       role. On the other hand, if the session user role has the NOINHERIT attribute, SET ROLE drops the
       privileges assigned directly to the session user and instead acquires the privileges available to the
       named role.

       In particular, when a superuser chooses to SET ROLE to a non-superuser role, she loses her superuser
       privileges.

       SET ROLE has effects comparable to SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION (SET_SESSION_AUTHORIZATION(7)), but the
       privilege checks involved are quite different. Also, SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION determines which roles are
       allowable for later SET ROLE commands, whereas changing roles with SET ROLE does not change the set of
       roles allowed to a later SET ROLE.

       SET ROLE does not process session variables as specified by the role's ALTER ROLE (ALTER_ROLE(7))
       settings; this only happens during login.

       SET ROLE cannot be used within a SECURITY DEFINER function.

EXAMPLES

           SELECT SESSION_USER, CURRENT_USER;

            session_user | current_user
           --------------+--------------
            peter        | peter

           SET ROLE 'paul';

           SELECT SESSION_USER, CURRENT_USER;

            session_user | current_user
           --------------+--------------
            peter        | paul

COMPATIBILITY

       PostgreSQL allows identifier syntax ("rolename"), while the SQL standard requires the role name to be
       written as a string literal. SQL does not allow this command during a transaction; PostgreSQL does not
       make this restriction because there is no reason to. The SESSION and LOCAL modifiers are a PostgreSQL
       extension, as is the RESET syntax.

SEE ALSO

       SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION (SET_SESSION_AUTHORIZATION(7))

PostgreSQL 9.5.25                                     2021                                           SET ROLE(7)