'\" t
.\"     Title: ALTER OPERATOR
.\"    Author: The PostgreSQL Global Development Group
.\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets vsnapshot <http://docbook.sf.net/>
.\"      Date: 2026
.\"    Manual: PostgreSQL 17.10 Documentation
.\"    Source: PostgreSQL 17.10
.\"  Language: English
.\"
.TH "ALTER OPERATOR" "7" "2026" "PostgreSQL 17.10" "PostgreSQL 17.10 Documentation"
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.SH "NAME"
ALTER_OPERATOR \- change the definition of an operator
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
.sp
.nf
ALTER OPERATOR \fIname\fR ( { \fIleft_type\fR | NONE } , \fIright_type\fR )
    OWNER TO { \fInew_owner\fR | CURRENT_ROLE | CURRENT_USER | SESSION_USER }

ALTER OPERATOR \fIname\fR ( { \fIleft_type\fR | NONE } , \fIright_type\fR )
    SET SCHEMA \fInew_schema\fR

ALTER OPERATOR \fIname\fR ( { \fIleft_type\fR | NONE } , \fIright_type\fR )
    SET ( {  RESTRICT = { \fIres_proc\fR | NONE }
           | JOIN = { \fIjoin_proc\fR | NONE }
           | COMMUTATOR = \fIcom_op\fR
           | NEGATOR = \fIneg_op\fR
           | HASHES
           | MERGES
          } [, \&.\&.\&. ] )
.fi
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
\fBALTER OPERATOR\fR
changes the definition of an operator\&.
.PP
You must own the operator to use
\fBALTER OPERATOR\fR\&. To alter the owner, you must be able to
SET ROLE
to the new owning role, and that role must have
CREATE
privilege on the operator\*(Aqs schema\&. (These restrictions enforce that altering the owner doesn\*(Aqt do anything you couldn\*(Aqt do by dropping and recreating the operator\&. However, a superuser can alter ownership of any operator anyway\&.)
.SH "PARAMETERS"
.PP
\fIname\fR
.RS 4
The name (optionally schema\-qualified) of an existing operator\&.
.RE
.PP
\fIleft_type\fR
.RS 4
The data type of the operator\*(Aqs left operand; write
NONE
if the operator has no left operand\&.
.RE
.PP
\fIright_type\fR
.RS 4
The data type of the operator\*(Aqs right operand\&.
.RE
.PP
\fInew_owner\fR
.RS 4
The new owner of the operator\&.
.RE
.PP
\fInew_schema\fR
.RS 4
The new schema for the operator\&.
.RE
.PP
\fIres_proc\fR
.RS 4
The restriction selectivity estimator function for this operator; write NONE to remove existing selectivity estimator\&.
.RE
.PP
\fIjoin_proc\fR
.RS 4
The join selectivity estimator function for this operator; write NONE to remove existing selectivity estimator\&.
.RE
.PP
\fIcom_op\fR
.RS 4
The commutator of this operator\&. Can only be changed if the operator does not have an existing commutator\&.
.RE
.PP
\fIneg_op\fR
.RS 4
The negator of this operator\&. Can only be changed if the operator does not have an existing negator\&.
.RE
.PP
HASHES
.RS 4
Indicates this operator can support a hash join\&. Can only be enabled and not disabled\&.
.RE
.PP
MERGES
.RS 4
Indicates this operator can support a merge join\&. Can only be enabled and not disabled\&.
.RE
.SH "NOTES"
.PP
Refer to
Section\ \&36.14
and
Section\ \&36.15
for further information\&.
.PP
Since commutators come in pairs that are commutators of each other,
ALTER OPERATOR SET COMMUTATOR
will also set the commutator of the
\fIcom_op\fR
to be the target operator\&. Likewise,
ALTER OPERATOR SET NEGATOR
will also set the negator of the
\fIneg_op\fR
to be the target operator\&. Therefore, you must own the commutator or negator operator as well as the target operator\&.
.SH "EXAMPLES"
.PP
Change the owner of a custom operator
a @@ b
for type
text:
.sp
.if n \{\
.RS 4
.\}
.nf
ALTER OPERATOR @@ (text, text) OWNER TO joe;
.fi
.if n \{\
.RE
.\}
.PP
Change the restriction and join selectivity estimator functions of a custom operator
a && b
for type
int[]:
.sp
.if n \{\
.RS 4
.\}
.nf
ALTER OPERATOR && (int[], int[]) SET (RESTRICT = _int_contsel, JOIN = _int_contjoinsel);
.fi
.if n \{\
.RE
.\}
.PP
Mark the
&&
operator as being its own commutator:
.sp
.if n \{\
.RS 4
.\}
.nf
ALTER OPERATOR && (int[], int[]) SET (COMMUTATOR = &&);
.fi
.if n \{\
.RE
.\}
.sp
.SH "COMPATIBILITY"
.PP
There is no
\fBALTER OPERATOR\fR
statement in the SQL standard\&.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
CREATE OPERATOR (\fBCREATE_OPERATOR\fR(7)), DROP OPERATOR (\fBDROP_OPERATOR\fR(7))