bytea_output

bytea_output is the PostgreSQL setting that defines the output format for bytea.

Note

Fact — official short description: “Sets the output format for bytea.”

Identity

Type , Valueenum: Upstream pg_settings type
Context , Valueuser: Settable by an ordinary user
Unit , Value—: Raw unit
Range , Value—: Raw limits in the last observed version
Enum values , Valueescape, hex: — for non-enum types
Category , ValueClient Connection Defaults / Statement Behavior: Upstream classification
Latest boot value , Valuehex: hex

Lifecycle

Fact	Value
First observed	PG9.0 (research boundary)
Present in	PG9.0–19 Beta 3
Removed in	No
Introduction commit	Not asserted: predates the PG9.0 research boundary
Commit date	—
Discussion	—

Default history

Measured PG9.0–19 Beta 3 boot defaults
Versions	Raw `boot_val`	Unit	Human value
PG9.0–19 Beta 3	`hex`	—	hex

How it works

bytea_output sets the output format for bytea. The choice affects textual output only: bytea input accepts both hex and escape syntax regardless of this setting.

bytea_output is a USER-context setting. An authorized role can change it for a session, while ALTER ROLE or ALTER DATABASE can establish a default for future sessions.

It changes representation, parsing, or locale behavior at the client boundary rather than physical storage. Coordinate it with the other locale and formatting settings and with driver-native binary or typed protocols.

Tuning advice

Tip

Advice. These are workload-specific starting points and must be validated with measurements.

Workload	Guidance
OLTP	Treat bytea_output as an application contract, not a performance knob. Standardize it per role or connection pool and keep wire formats explicit where clients parse text.
OLAP	Pin bytea_output for export, reporting, and reproducible analytical jobs; prefer explicit SQL formatting when a file or API has a durable schema.
Small nodes	Keep the upstream or locale-derived value unless a client requires another one. A smaller server gains no capacity from changing bytea_output.

Pigsty

Values use the fixed 8-vCPU, 32-GiB, 100-GiB SSD fixture and render the current Pigsty templates for PG19 Beta 3; this does not assert current Pigsty support for that historical or beta release.

Template	Effective value	Versus upstream boot	Source expression
OLTP	Unmodified	—	—
OLAP	Unmodified	—	—
CRIT	Unmodified	—	—
TINY	Unmodified	—	—

Caution

Advice — pending human review. Fact from the current Pigsty template projection: OLTP: PG9.0–19 Beta 3 unmodified; OLAP: PG9.0–19 Beta 3 unmodified; CRIT: PG9.0–19 Beta 3 unmodified; TINY: PG9.0–19 Beta 3 unmodified. No Pigsty-specific rationale is inferred from an absent override.

Common pitfalls

Changing bytea_output in one session and assuming role defaults, database defaults, or other pooled sessions changed with it.
Assuming a presentation setting changes stored values or server-side type semantics.
Changing a role or database default without testing text-parsing clients, exports, and pooled sessions.
Changing bytea_output globally without a rollback plan and a client or operational compatibility test.

extra_float_digits · xmlbinary · xmloption · client_encoding · DateStyle