<p>MySQL raises error 1838 when a stored procedure tries to modify a system variable that is not allowed inside routines.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1838 ER_VARIABLE_NOT_SETTABLE_IN_SP appears when a stored procedure executes SET on a protected system variable. Move the SET statement outside the procedure or use an allowed session variable to resolve the problem.</p>
The system variable %s cannot be set in stored
Error 1838 fires when MySQL encounters a SET statement inside a stored procedure that targets a system variable marked not settable within routines.
The server aborts the statement and returns SQLSTATE HY000 with the message The system variable %s cannot be set in stored procedures.
Fixing the issue quickly matters because the entire procedure stops at the failing line, leaving data changes incomplete and user sessions blocked.
The main trigger is executing SET GLOBAL or SET @@variable inside a stored program for variables declared read only in that context, such as sql_mode or autocommit.
The error also occurs when DELIMITER scripts mistakenly place configuration changes inside routine bodies instead of before CREATE PROCEDURE.
Identify the offending SET line, then either remove it, place it before CALL, or switch to a local user variable.
If the change must persist for the session, call SET at the connection level in application code or in Galaxy's pre-query snippet rather than inside the procedure.
Developers often wrap maintenance logic in procedures and add SET sql_log_bin=0 to speed inserts. Move that SET outside and re-run.
Analytics engineers sometimes toggle autocommit inside a loop. Use START TRANSACTION and COMMIT instead to control atomicity without violating variable rules.
Review MySQL documentation for read only system variables before adding SET statements to stored routines.
In Galaxy, store configuration commands in a separate endorsed query so team members call it safely before executing procedures.
Error 1238 variable not settable in stored function appears for the same misuse in functions. Treat it identically: move the SET outside.
Error 1229 variable not settable with SET GLOBAL from slave nodes indicates replication role conflict. Switch to primary or use SET SESSION.
Variables such as sql_mode, time_zone, and autocommit cannot be modified inside stored procedures, triggering error 1838.
GLOBAL scope changes are forbidden within stored programs to protect server-wide stability.
Developers sometimes write SET statements after BEGIN instead of before CREATE PROCEDURE, leading to runtime failure.
Raised when a stored function tries to modify a prohibited system variable. Fix by moving the SET outside the function.
Occurs when attempting SET GLOBAL on a read-only variable from a replica. Switch to primary or adjust replication roles.
Indicates the variable name is misspelled or unsupported in the server version. Verify spelling and server capabilities.
Yes, but only for variables that MySQL marks as settable within routines or for user-defined variables. Check the official docs first.
The error exists from MySQL 5.6 onward and MariaDB 10.x with identical behavior.
No privilege bypasses the rule. It is a server-level safeguard hard-coded into the optimizer.
Galaxy's AI linting flags disallowed SET statements during query composition and suggests moving them outside the procedure.
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