Index: doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml
===================================================================
RCS file: /opt/src/cvs/pgsql-server/doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml,v
retrieving revision 2.56
diff -c -r2.56 catalogs.sgml
*** doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml	30 Aug 2002 19:23:18 -0000	2.56
--- doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml	31 Aug 2002 22:46:02 -0000
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*** 162,167 ****
--- 162,172 ----
       </row>
  
       <row>
+       <entry>pg_settings</entry>
+       <entry>current session run-time parameters</entry>
+      </row>
+ 
+      <row>
        <entry>pg_statistic</entry>
        <entry>optimizer statistics</entry>
       </row>
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*** 2858,2863 ****
--- 2863,2924 ----
        <entry><type>text[]</type></entry>
        <entry></entry>
        <entry>Session defaults for run-time configuration variables</entry>
+      </row>
+     </tbody>
+    </tgroup>
+   </table>
+ 
+  </sect1>
+ 
+ 
+  <sect1 id="catalog-pg-settings">
+   <title>pg_settings</title>
+ 
+   <para>
+    <structname>pg_settings</structname> virtual table allows display and update
+    of current session run-time parameters. There is one entry for each of the 
+    available parameters provided by <command>SHOW ALL</command>. But it is
+    in a form that allows it to be joined with other relations and have a
+    selection criteria applied.
+   </para>
+ 
+   <para>
+    An <command>UPDATE</command> performed on <structname>pg_settings</structname>
+    is equivalent to executing the <command>SET</command> command on that named
+    parameter. The change only affects the value used by the current session. If
+    an <command>UPDATE</command> is issued within a transaction that is later
+    aborted, the effects of the <command>UPDATE</command> 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 <command>UPDATE</command> or <command>SET</command>.
+   </para>
+ 
+   <table>
+    <title>pg_settings Columns</title>
+ 
+    <tgroup cols=4>
+     <thead>
+      <row>
+       <entry>Name</entry>
+       <entry>Type</entry>
+       <entry>References</entry>
+       <entry>Description</entry>
+      </row>
+     </thead>
+ 
+     <tbody>
+      <row>
+       <entry>name</entry>
+       <entry><type>text</type></entry>
+       <entry></entry>
+       <entry>The name of a current session run-time parameter</entry>
+      </row>
+ 
+      <row>
+       <entry>setting</entry>
+       <entry><type>text</type></entry>
+       <entry></entry>
+       <entry>The value of a current session run-time parameter</entry>
       </row>
      </tbody>
     </tgroup>