Parameter · Reporting and Logging / What to Log
debug_pretty_print
Indents parse and plan tree displays.
- Default:
on - Type: bool
- Applies: Session (any user)
In plain words
The debug_print_* settings dump PostgreSQL's internal query trees into the log. With this on (the default) the dump is indented one field per line; off packs it into long wrapped lines.
For DBAs and operators
Affects only the output of debug_print_parse, debug_print_rewritten and debug_print_plan (and the same dumps sent to the client). Pretty output is much longer: a trivial SELECT 1 produces about 80 lines. Off is more compact and easier to grep, still readable for small trees.
These are developer tools; the node format is internal and changes between major versions (PostgreSQL 18 added fields such as :hasGroupRTE and :returningOldAlias). For plan analysis, EXPLAIN (VERBOSE) is the user-facing equivalent.
How to change it
Any user can change it for their session with SET.