Re: Customize psql prompt to show current_role

Hi Dominique,

There is no direct prompt escape sequence like %n for displaying the current_role in the psql prompt. However, you can work around this by using a \set command to define a custom prompt that includes the result of current_role.

You can use the following command to set your psql PROMPT1 to include both the session_user and current_role:

Here’s how you can achieve this:

You can define a function in your psqlrc file that captures the current role.

Use \set to set a custom prompt that includes both the session user (%n) and the current_role.
Here's an example of how you can do it:

Edit your .psqlrc file to include a custom query and set a prompt:

-- Query to set the current role into a psql variable
\set current_role 'SELECT current_role;'

-- Define a custom prompt with both the session user and the current role
\set PROMPT1 '%n@%/ (%`current_role`)=%# '

Load the .psqlrc or start a new psql session, and your prompt will now show the session user and current role.

The key here is that \set allows you to run SQL commands within the prompt, which can be used to extract the current_role.

This approach requires you to execute it manually or include it in your .psqlrc file for automatic loading with each session.

I hope this helps!

Best regards,

Asad Ali