Thread: Schema search_path and $user

In the docs, I see repeated references to $user in the postgresql.conf
schema search_path setting such as:

search_path = '"$user",public'

But I don't see any info on the meaning of '$user' here.  Is $user
some kind of variable within postgresql.conf that refers to the
current user?  Can it be replaced with a real group name to control
schema search_paths for specific groups/users?

Thanks.

Postgres User <postgres.developer@gmail.com> writes:
> In the docs, I see repeated references to $user in the postgresql.conf
> schema search_path setting such as:

> search_path = '"$user",public'

> But I don't see any info on the meaning of '$user' here.

I guess you didn't read the actual documentation of search_path:
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/static/runtime-config-client.html#GUC-SEARCH-PATH
It says

The value for search_path has to be a comma-separated list of schema
names. If one of the list items is the special value $user, then the
schema having the name returned by SESSION_USER is substituted, if there
is such a schema. (If not, $user is ignored.)

            regards, tom lane

Thanks for the link, I wasn't reading the right page(s) in the documentation.

On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 12:19 PM, Tom Lane<tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote:
> Postgres User <postgres.developer@gmail.com> writes:
>> In the docs, I see repeated references to $user in the postgresql.conf
>> schema search_path setting such as:
>
>> search_path = '"$user",public'
>
>> But I don't see any info on the meaning of '$user' here.
>
> I guess you didn't read the actual documentation of search_path:
> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.3/static/runtime-config-client.html#GUC-SEARCH-PATH
> It says
>
> The value for search_path has to be a comma-separated list of schema
> names. If one of the list items is the special value $user, then the
> schema having the name returned by SESSION_USER is substituted, if there
> is such a schema. (If not, $user is ignored.)
>
>                        regards, tom lane
>