timeofday() — PostgreSQL date/time function

timeofday(): current date and time – increments during transactions. PostgreSQL date/time functions — signature, volatility, version applicability and an illustrative example.

Summary

timeofday is a PostgreSQL built-in function in the Date/Time Functions group. PostgreSQL’s system catalog (pg_proc) describes it as: “current date and time – increments during transactions”.

Signature

timeofday() → text

Argument and return types are taken from the pg_proc catalog; internal type names are shown using their readable SQL spellings (for example int4 is shown as integer). (Derived from the catalog — see the linked reference for the canonical documentation.)

Classification

  • Category: Date/Time Functions
  • Kind: Function
  • Volatility: VOLATILE — Marked VOLATILE — its result can change even within a single statement (for example, it may depend on time, sequences or the current session).
  • Returns: text

Example

Illustrative form (replace placeholder values with your own data):

SELECT timeofday();

The example above is illustrative and is meant to show calling syntax only; consult the linked PostgreSQL documentation for exact semantics, edge cases and accepted argument combinations.

Version applicability

timeofday is present across the surveyed releases (PostgreSQL 15, 16, 17, 18, 19). On older major versions, behaviour may differ in detail — always check the documentation for the version you run.

Related & references

Reference: PostgreSQL documentation — Date/Time Functions.