ALTER ROLE(7)                                             SQL Commands                                             ALTER ROLE(7)



NAME
       ALTER ROLE - change a database role


SYNOPSIS
       ALTER ROLE name [ [ WITH ] option [ ... ] ]

       where option can be:

             SUPERUSER | NOSUPERUSER
           | CREATEDB | NOCREATEDB
           | CREATEROLE | NOCREATEROLE
           | CREATEUSER | NOCREATEUSER
           | INHERIT | NOINHERIT
           | LOGIN | NOLOGIN
           | CONNECTION LIMIT connlimit
           | [ ENCRYPTED | UNENCRYPTED ] PASSWORD 'password'
           | VALID UNTIL 'timestamp'

       ALTER ROLE name RENAME TO newname

       ALTER ROLE name SET configuration_parameter { TO | = } { value | DEFAULT }
       ALTER ROLE name SET configuration_parameter FROM CURRENT
       ALTER ROLE name RESET configuration_parameter
       ALTER ROLE name RESET ALL


DESCRIPTION
       ALTER ROLE changes the attributes of a PostgreSQL role.

       The  first variant of this command listed in the synopsis can change many of the role attributes that can be specified in
       CREATE ROLE [create_role(7)].  (All the possible attributes are covered, except that there are no options for  adding  or
       removing  memberships;  use  GRANT  [grant(7)] and REVOKE [revoke(7)] for that.)  Attributes not mentioned in the command
       retain their previous settings.  Database superusers can change any of these settings for any role.  Roles having CREATE-
       ROLE  privilege can change any of these settings, but only for non-superuser roles.  Ordinary roles can only change their
       own password.

       The second variant changes the name of the role.  Database superusers can rename any role.  Roles having CREATEROLE priv-
       ilege  can  rename non-superuser roles.  The current session user cannot be renamed.  (Connect as a different user if you
       need to do that.)  Because MD5-encrypted passwords use the role name as cryptographic salt, renaming a  role  clears  its
       password if the password is MD5-encrypted.

       The  remaining  variants change a role's session default for a specified configuration variable. Whenever the role subse-
       quently starts a new session, the specified value becomes the session default, overriding whatever setting is present  in
       postgresql.conf  or  has  been received from the postgres command line. This only happens at login time, so configuration
       settings associated with a role to which you've SET ROLE [set_role(7)] will be ignored.  Superusers can  change  anyone's
       session defaults. Roles having CREATEROLE privilege can change defaults for non-superuser roles. Certain variables cannot
       be set this way, or can only be set if a superuser issues the command.

PARAMETERS
       name   The name of the role whose attributes are to be altered.

       SUPERUSER

       NOSUPERUSER

       CREATEDB

       NOCREATEDB

       CREATEROLE

       NOCREATEROLE

       CREATEUSER

       NOCREATEUSER

       INHERIT

       NOINHERIT

       LOGIN

       NOLOGIN

       CONNECTION LIMIT connlimit

       PASSWORD password

       ENCRYPTED

       UNENCRYPTED

       VALID UNTIL 'timestamp'
              These clauses alter attributes originally set by CREATE ROLE [create_role(7)]. For more information, see the  CRE-
              ATE ROLE reference page.

       newname
              The new name of the role.

       configuration_parameter

       value  Set  this role's session default for the specified configuration parameter to the given value. If value is DEFAULT
              or, equivalently, RESET is used, the role-specific variable setting is removed, so the role will inherit the  sys-
              tem-wide  default  setting  in  new sessions. Use RESET ALL to clear all role-specific settings.  SET FROM CURRENT
              saves the session's current value of the parameter as the role-specific value.

              Role-specific variable setting take effect only at login; SET ROLE [set_role(7)] does  not  process  role-specific
              variable settings.

              See SET [set(7)] and in the documentation for more information about allowed parameter names and values.

NOTES
       Use CREATE ROLE [create_role(7)] to add new roles, and DROP ROLE [drop_role(7)] to remove a role.

       ALTER ROLE cannot change a role's memberships.  Use GRANT [grant(7)] and REVOKE [revoke(7)] to do that.

       Caution  must be exercised when specifying an unencrypted password with this command. The password will be transmitted to
       the server in cleartext, and it might also be logged in the client's command history or the server  log.  psql  [psql(1)]
       contains a command \password that can be used to safely change a role's password.

       It  is  also  possible  to  tie  a  session  default  to  a  specific  database rather than to a role; see ALTER DATABASE
       [alter_database(7)].  Role-specific settings override database-specific ones if there is a conflict.

EXAMPLES
       Change a role's password:

       ALTER ROLE davide WITH PASSWORD 'hu8jmn3';


       Remove a role's password:

       ALTER ROLE davide WITH PASSWORD NULL;


       Change a password expiration date, specifying that the password should expire at midday on 4th May 2015  using  the  time
       zone which is one hour ahead of UTC:

       ALTER ROLE chris VALID UNTIL 'May 4 12:00:00 2015 +1';


       Make a password valid forever:

       ALTER ROLE fred VALID UNTIL 'infinity';


       Give a role the ability to create other roles and new databases:

       ALTER ROLE miriam CREATEROLE CREATEDB;


       Give a role a non-default setting of the maintenance_work_mem parameter:

       ALTER ROLE worker_bee SET maintenance_work_mem = 100000;


COMPATIBILITY
       The ALTER ROLE statement is a PostgreSQL extension.

SEE ALSO
       CREATE ROLE [create_role(7)], DROP ROLE [drop_role(7)], SET [set(7)]



SQL - Language Statements                                  2011-09-22                                              ALTER ROLE(7)