PostgreSQL localtimestamp() Function

The PostgreSQL localimestamp() function returns the system date and time when the transaction started.

localtimestamp() Syntax

Here is the syntax of the PostgreSQL localtimestamp() function:

localtimestamp -> TIMESTAMP

or

localtimestamp(precision) -> TIMESTAMP

Parameters

precision

Required. It is an integer indicating the precision of fractional seconds.

Return value

The PostgreSQL localtimestamp() function returns the system date and time when the transaction started.

That is, all localtimestamp() functions in a transaction return the same value, that is different from clock_timestamp().

Unlike current_timestamp(), the localtimestamp() function returns the system date and time without time zone information.

localtimestamp() Examples

This example shows how to use the PostgreSQL localtimestamp() function to get the current date and time.

SELECT localtimestamp;

       localtimestamp
----------------------------
 2022-05-16 20:56:24.432821

Or use the following statement to limit the precision of fractional seconds:

SELECT
    localtimestamp(0),
    localtimestamp(1),
    localtimestamp(2),
    localtimestamp(3),
    localtimestamp(4),
    localtimestamp(5),
    localtimestamp(6);

localtimestamp | 2022-05-16 20:56:37
localtimestamp | 2022-05-16 20:56:36.7
localtimestamp | 2022-05-16 20:56:36.71
localtimestamp | 2022-05-16 20:56:36.707
localtimestamp | 2022-05-16 20:56:36.7073
localtimestamp | 2022-05-16 20:56:36.70727
localtimestamp | 2022-05-16 20:56:36.707265

The localtimestamp() function returns the time when the transaction started, not the time when the function was executed. See the example below:

SELECT
    localtimestamp,
    pg_sleep(1),
    localtimestamp;

-[ RECORD 1 ]--+---------------------------
localtimestamp | 2022-05-16 20:56:52.244352
pg_sleep       |
localtimestamp | 2022-05-16 20:56:52.244352

Here, even though we use pg_sleep(1) to pause execution for 1 second between the two localtimestamp functions, they still return the same value.