written as either an identifier or a string literal.

After <command>SET ROLE</command>, permissions checking for SQL commands

is carried out as though the named role were the one that had logged

in originally.

in originally. Note that <command>SET ROLE</command> and

<command>SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION</command> are exceptions; permissions

checks for those continue to use the current session user and the initial

session user (the <firstterm>authenticated user</firstterm>), respectively.

</para>

<para>

exercised either with or without <literal>SET ROLE</literal>.

</para>

<para>

Note that when a superuser chooses to <command>SET ROLE</command> to a

non-superuser role, they lose their superuser privileges.

</para>

<para>

<command>SET ROLE</command> has effects comparable to

<link linkend="sql-set-session-authorization"><command>SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION</command></link>, but the privilege