<para>
The <literal>Total runtime</literal> shown by <command>EXPLAIN
- ANALYZE</command> includes executor start-up and shut-down time, as well
- as time spent processing the result rows. It does not include parsing,
- rewriting, or planning time. For a <command>SELECT</> query, the total
- run time will normally be just a little larger than the total time
- reported for the top-level plan node. For <command>INSERT</>,
- <command>UPDATE</>, and <command>DELETE</> commands, the total run time
- might be considerably larger, because it includes the time spent processing
- the result rows. For these commands, the time for the top plan node is
- essentially the time spent locating the old rows and/or computing
- the new ones, but it doesn't include the time spent applying the changes.
- Time spent firing triggers, if any, is also outside the top plan node,
- and is shown separately for each trigger.
+ ANALYZE</command> includes executor start-up and shut-down time, but not
+ parsing, rewriting, or planning time. For <command>INSERT</>,
+ <command>UPDATE</>, and <command>DELETE</> commands, the time spent
+ applying the table changes is charged to a top-level Insert, Update,
+ or Delete plan node. (The plan nodes underneath this node represent
+ the work of locating the old rows and/or computing the new ones.)
+ Time spent firing triggers, if any, is charged to the Insert,
+ Update, or Delete node, and is also shown separately for each trigger.
+ Note, however, that deferred triggers will not be fired until end of
+ transaction and are thus not accounted for in the output of
+ <command>EXPLAIN ANALYZE</command>.
+ </para>
+
+ <para>
+ There are two significant ways in which runtimes measured by
+ <command>EXPLAIN ANALYZE</command> can deviate from normal execution of
+ the same query. First, since no output rows are delivered to the client,
+ network transmission costs and I/O formatting costs are not included.
+ Second, the overhead added by <command>EXPLAIN ANALYZE</command> can be
+ significant, especially on machines with slow <function>gettimeofday()</>
+ kernel calls.
</para>
<para>