ALTER_ROUTINE(7pg14)

✨ NAME ✨

okay so bestie, this is the ALTER_ROUTINE(7pg14) page — aka ALTER ROUTINE(7) in the PostgreSQL 14.24 docs — and it’s here to change the definition of a routine. 💅

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💅 SYNOPSIS 💅

ALTER ROUTINE name [ ( [ [ argmode ] [ argname ] argtype [, ...] ] ) ]
    action [ ... ] [ RESTRICT ]
ALTER ROUTINE name [ ( [ [ argmode ] [ argname ] argtype [, ...] ] ) ]
    RENAME TO new_name
ALTER ROUTINE name [ ( [ [ argmode ] [ argname ] argtype [, ...] ] ) ]
    OWNER TO { new_owner | CURRENT_ROLE | CURRENT_USER | SESSION_USER }
ALTER ROUTINE name [ ( [ [ argmode ] [ argname ] argtype [, ...] ] ) ]
    SET SCHEMA new_schema
ALTER ROUTINE name [ ( [ [ argmode ] [ argname ] argtype [, ...] ] ) ]
    [ NO ] DEPENDS ON EXTENSION extension_name

where action is one of:

    IMMUTABLE | STABLE | VOLATILE
    [ NOT ] LEAKPROOF
    [ EXTERNAL ] SECURITY INVOKER | [ EXTERNAL ] SECURITY DEFINER
    PARALLEL { UNSAFE | RESTRICTED | SAFE }
    COST execution_cost
    ROWS result_rows
    SET configuration_parameter { TO | = } { value | DEFAULT }
    SET configuration_parameter FROM CURRENT
    RESET configuration_parameter
    RESET ALL

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🫶 DESCRIPTION 🫶

ALTER ROUTINE changes the definition of a routine, and a routine can be an aggregate function, a normal function, or a procedure. Yes bestie, it’s giving “one command, three possible main characters.” 🌈

for the full breakdown of parameters, extra examples, and further details, see under ALTER AGGREGATE (ALTER_AGGREGATE(7)), ALTER FUNCTION (ALTER_FUNCTION(7)), and ALTER PROCEDURE (ALTER_PROCEDURE(7)). 🫡

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🎀 EXAMPLES 🎀

to rename the routine foo for type integer to foobar:

ALTER ROUTINE foo(integer) RENAME TO foobar;

this command will work independent of whether foo is an aggregate, function, or procedure. no cap. ✨

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🦋 COMPATIBILITY 🦋

this statement is partially compatible with the ALTER ROUTINE statement in the SQL standard. see under ALTER FUNCTION (ALTER_FUNCTION(7)) and ALTER PROCEDURE (ALTER_PROCEDURE(7)) for more details. 📚

allowing routine names to refer to aggregate functions is a PostgreSQL extension. 👑

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🌸 SEE ALSO 🌸

• ALTER AGGREGATE (ALTER_AGGREGATE(7))
• ALTER FUNCTION (ALTER_FUNCTION(7))
• ALTER PROCEDURE (ALTER_PROCEDURE(7))
• DROP ROUTINE (DROP_ROUTINE(7))

note that there is no CREATE ROUTINE command. not me checking twice, but yes, it’s not there. 💀

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xoxo, signed off from PostgreSQL 14.24, dated 2026, on the ALTER ROUTINE(7) page — slay and stay safe out there 💖🎀✨