v.18.16Improvement

Added low_cardinality_allow_in_native_format Setting

Added the low_cardinality_allow_in_native_format setting (enabled by default). When disabled, LowCardinality columns will be converted to ordinary columns for SELECT queries and ordinary columns will be expected for INSERT queries. #3879
Added the low_cardinality_allow_in_native_format setting to control the use of LowCardinality encoding in native format queries.

Why it matters

This feature allows users to disable the LowCardinality encoding in native format for SELECT and INSERT queries. When disabled, LowCardinality columns are converted to ordinary columns in SELECT queries, and ordinary columns are expected in INSERT queries. This helps improve compatibility and control over how LowCardinality data is handled.

How to use it

Set the low_cardinality_allow_in_native_format setting to 0 (disabled) or 1 (enabled, default) in your query or session configuration to control the behavior. For example:

SET low_cardinality_allow_in_native_format = 0;


This will disable LowCardinality native format usage for the current session or query.