diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml
index d1f6f9f3efb..b0b3f50f0f2 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <!--
  Documentation of the system catalogs, directed toward PostgreSQL developers
- $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml,v 2.56 2002/08/30 19:23:18 tgl Exp $
+ $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/catalogs.sgml,v 2.57 2002/09/02 05:44:43 momjian Exp $
  -->
 
 <chapter id="catalogs">
@@ -161,6 +161,11 @@
       <entry>database users</entry>
      </row>
 
+     <row>
+      <entry>pg_settings</entry>
+      <entry>current session run-time parameters</entry>
+     </row>
+
      <row>
       <entry>pg_statistic</entry>
       <entry>optimizer statistics</entry>
@@ -2866,6 +2871,62 @@
  </sect1>
 
 
+ <sect1 id="catalog-pg-settings">
+  <title>pg_settings</title>
+
+  <para>
+   <structname>pg_settings</structname> virtual table allows display and update
+   of current session run-time parameters. There is one entry for each of the 
+   available parameters provided by <command>SHOW ALL</command>. But it is
+   in a form that allows it to be joined with other relations and have a
+   selection criteria applied.
+  </para>
+
+  <para>
+   An <command>UPDATE</command> performed on <structname>pg_settings</structname>
+   is equivalent to executing the <command>SET</command> command on that named
+   parameter. The change only affects the value used by the current session. If
+   an <command>UPDATE</command> is issued within a transaction that is later
+   aborted, the effects of the <command>UPDATE</command> command disappear when
+   the transaction is rolled back. Once the surrounding transaction is
+   committed, the effects will persist until the end of the session, unless
+   overridden by another <command>UPDATE</command> or <command>SET</command>.
+  </para>
+
+  <table>
+   <title>pg_settings Columns</title>
+
+   <tgroup cols=4>
+    <thead>
+     <row>
+      <entry>Name</entry>
+      <entry>Type</entry>
+      <entry>References</entry>
+      <entry>Description</entry>
+     </row>
+    </thead>
+
+    <tbody>
+     <row>
+      <entry>name</entry>
+      <entry><type>text</type></entry>
+      <entry></entry>
+      <entry>The name of a current session run-time parameter</entry>
+     </row>
+
+     <row>
+      <entry>setting</entry>
+      <entry><type>text</type></entry>
+      <entry></entry>
+      <entry>The value of a current session run-time parameter</entry>
+     </row>
+    </tbody>
+   </tgroup>
+  </table>
+
+ </sect1>
+
+
  <sect1 id="catalog-pg-statistic">
   <title>pg_statistic</title>