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<Chapter Id="runtime">

<indexterm><primary>date style</></>

<listitem>

<para>

Sets the display format for date and time values, as well as

therules for interpreting ambiguous date input values.

Forhistorical reasons, this variable contains two independent

Sets the display format for date and time values, as well as the

rules for interpreting ambiguous date input values. For

historical reasons, this variable contains two independent

components: the output format specification (<literal>ISO</>,

<literal>Postgres</>, <literal>SQL</>, or <literal>German</>) and

the date field order specification (<literal>DMY</>, <literal>MDY</>,

or <literal>YMD</>). These can be set separately or together.

The keywords <literal>Euro</> and <literal>European</> are synonyms

for <literal>DMY</>; the keywords <literal>US</>, <literal>NonEuro</>,

and <literal>NonEuropean</> are synonyms for <literal>MDY</>.

See <xref linkend="datatype-datetime"> for more information. The

<literal>Postgres</>, <literal>SQL</>, or <literal>German</>)

and the input/output specification for year/month/day ordering

(<literal>DMY</>, <literal>MDY</>, or <literal>YMD</>). These

can be set separately or together. The keywords <literal>Euro</>

and <literal>European</> are synonyms for <literal>DMY</>; the

keywords <literal>US</>, <literal>NonEuro</>, and

<literal>NonEuropean</> are synonyms for <literal>MDY</>. See

<xref linkend="datatype-datetime"> for more information. The

default is <literal>ISO, MDY</>.

</para>

</listitem>