1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<refentry id="SQL-ALTERTABLE">
|
|
|
|
<refmeta>
|
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|
|
<refentrytitle>
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|
ALTER TABLE
|
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|
|
</refentrytitle>
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|
<refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
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|
</refmeta>
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|
<refnamediv>
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<refname>
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ALTER TABLE
|
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|
</refname>
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<refpurpose>
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|
Modifies table properties
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|
</refpurpose>
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</refnamediv>
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<refsynopsisdiv>
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<refsynopsisdivinfo>
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<date>1998-04-15</date>
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|
</refsynopsisdivinfo>
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|
<synopsis>
|
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|
ALTER TABLE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable>
|
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|
|
[ * ] ADD [ COLUMN ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">ER">co</replaceable>BLE> <replaceable
|
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|
|
class="PARAMETER">type</replaceable>
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable>
|
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|
|
[ * ] RENAME [ COLUMN ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">ER">co</replaceable>BLE> TO <replaceable
|
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|
class="PARAMETER">newcolumn</replaceable>
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ALTER TABLE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable>
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|
RENAME TO <replaceable class="PARAMETER">newtable</replaceable>
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|
</synopsis>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
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|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
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|
<refsect2 id="R2-SQL-ALTERTABLE-1">
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<refsect2info>
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<date>1998-04-15</date>
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</refsect2info>
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<title>
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|
Inputs
|
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|
</title>
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|
<para>
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|
<variablelist>
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|
<varlistentry>
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<term><replaceable class="PARAMETER"> table </replaceable></term>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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|
The name of an existing table to alter.
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|
</para>
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|
</listitem>
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</varlistentry>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
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|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
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|
<varlistentry>
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<term><replaceable class="PARAMETER"> column </replaceable></term>
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|
<listitem>
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|
<para>
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|
|
Name of a new or existing column.
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|
|
</para>
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|
</listitem>
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</varlistentry>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
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|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
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|
<varlistentry>
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<term><replaceable class="PARAMETER"> type </replaceable></term>
|
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<listitem>
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|
<para>
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|
Type of the new column.
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|
|
</para>
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|
</listitem>
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</varlistentry>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
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|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
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|
<varlistentry>
|
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|
|
<term><replaceable class="PARAMETER"> newcolumn </replaceable></term>
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<listitem>
|
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|
|
<para>
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|
|
New name for an existing column.
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|
|
</para>
|
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|
|
</listitem>
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|
|
</varlistentry>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
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|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
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|
<varlistentry>
|
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|
|
<term><replaceable class="PARAMETER"> newtable </replaceable></term>
|
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|
<listitem>
|
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|
|
<para>
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|
|
New name for an existing column.
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|
|
</para>
|
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|
|
</listitem>
|
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|
|
</varlistentry>
|
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|
|
</variablelist>
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|
|
</para>
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|
|
</refsect2>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
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|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<refsect2 id="R2-SQL-ALTERTABLE-2">
|
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|
|
<refsect2info>
|
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|
|
<date>1998-04-15</date>
|
|
|
|
</refsect2info>
|
|
|
|
<title>
|
|
|
|
Outputs
|
|
|
|
</title>
|
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|
|
<para>
|
1998-10-30 20:34:40 +01:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<variablelist>
|
|
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
<term><computeroutput>
|
|
|
|
ALTER
|
|
|
|
</computeroutput></term>
|
|
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Message returned from column or table renaming.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
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|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
<term><computeroutput>
|
|
|
|
NEW
|
|
|
|
</computeroutput></term>
|
|
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Message returned from column addition.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
<term><computeroutput>
|
|
|
|
ERROR
|
|
|
|
</computeroutput></term>
|
|
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Message returned if table or column is not available.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
</variablelist>
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
</refsect2>
|
|
|
|
</refsynopsisdiv>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<refsect1 id="R1-SQL-ALTERTABLE-1">
|
|
|
|
<refsect1info>
|
|
|
|
<date>1998-04-15</date>
|
|
|
|
</refsect1info>
|
|
|
|
<title>
|
|
|
|
Description
|
|
|
|
</title>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
1998-09-16 16:43:12 +02:00
|
|
|
<command>ALTER TABLE</command> changes the definition of an existing table.
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
The new columns and their types are specified in the same style
|
1998-09-16 16:43:12 +02:00
|
|
|
and with the the same restrictions as in <command>CREATE TABLE</command>.
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
The RENAME clause causes the name of a table or column
|
|
|
|
to change without changing any of the data contained in
|
|
|
|
the affected table. Thus, the table or column will
|
|
|
|
remain of the same type and size after this command is
|
|
|
|
executed.
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
You must own the table in order to change its schema.
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<refsect2 id="R2-SQL-ALTERTABLE-3">
|
|
|
|
<refsect2info>
|
|
|
|
<date>1998-04-15</date>
|
|
|
|
</refsect2info>
|
|
|
|
<title>
|
|
|
|
Notes
|
|
|
|
</title>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
The keyword <literal>COLUMN</literal> is noise and can be omitted.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
<quote>[*]</quote> following a name of a table indicates that statement
|
|
|
|
should be run over that table and all tables below it in the
|
|
|
|
inheritance hierarchy.
|
1998-09-22 17:48:03 +02:00
|
|
|
The <citetitle>PostgreSQL User's Guide</citetitle> has further
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
information on inheritance.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Refer to <command>CREATE TABLE</command> for a further description
|
|
|
|
of valid arguments.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
</refsect2>
|
|
|
|
</refsect1>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<refsect1 id="R1-SQL-ALTERTABLE-2">
|
|
|
|
<title>
|
|
|
|
Usage
|
|
|
|
</title>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
To add a column of type VARCHAR to a table:
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<programlisting>
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE distributors ADD COLUMN address VARCHAR(30);
|
|
|
|
</programlisting>
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
To rename an existing column:
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<programlisting>
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE distributors RENAME COLUMN address TO city;
|
|
|
|
</programlisting>
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
To rename an existing table:
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<programlisting>
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE distributors RENAME TO suppliers;
|
|
|
|
</programlisting>
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
</refsect1>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<refsect1 id="R1-SQL-ALTERTABLE-3">
|
|
|
|
<title>
|
|
|
|
Compatibility
|
|
|
|
</title>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<refsect2 id="R2-SQL-ALTERTABLE-4">
|
|
|
|
<refsect2info>
|
|
|
|
<date>1998-04-15</date>
|
|
|
|
</refsect2info>
|
|
|
|
<title>
|
|
|
|
SQL92
|
|
|
|
</title>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
<command>ALTER TABLE/RENAME</command>
|
|
|
|
is a <productname>Postgres</productname> language extension.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
1998-09-16 16:43:12 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
SQL92 specifies some additional capabilities for <command>ALTER TABLE</command>
|
|
|
|
statement which are not yet directly supported by
|
|
|
|
<productname>Postgres</productname>:
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<variablelist>
|
|
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
<term>
|
|
|
|
<synopsis>
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable> ALTER [
|
|
|
|
COLUMN ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">column</replaceable>
|
|
|
|
SET DEFAULT <replaceable class="PARAMETER">default</replaceable>
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable> ALTER [
|
|
|
|
COLUMN ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">column</replaceable>
|
|
|
|
ADD [ CONSTRAINT <replaceable class="PARAMETER">>constrain</replaceable>> ] <replaceable
|
|
|
|
class="PARAMETER">table-constraint</replaceable>
|
|
|
|
</synopsis>
|
|
|
|
</term>
|
|
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Puts the default value or constraint specified into the
|
|
|
|
definition of column in the table.
|
|
|
|
See <command>CREATE TABLE</command> for the
|
|
|
|
syntax of the default and table-constraint clauses.
|
|
|
|
If a default clause already exists, it will be replaced by
|
|
|
|
the new definition. If any constraints on this column already
|
|
|
|
exist, they will be retained using a boolean AND with the new
|
|
|
|
constraint.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
1998-09-16 16:43:12 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Currently, to set new default constraints on an existing column
|
|
|
|
the table must be recreated and reloaded:
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<programlisting>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
CREATE TABLE temp AS SELECT * FROM distributors;
|
|
|
|
DROP TABLE distributors;
|
|
|
|
CREATE TABLE distributors (
|
|
|
|
did DECIMAL(3) DEFAULT 1,
|
|
|
|
name VARCHAR(40) NOT NULL,
|
|
|
|
city VARCHAR(30)
|
|
|
|
);
|
|
|
|
INSERT INTO distributors SELECT * FROM temp;
|
|
|
|
DROP TABLE temp;
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
</programlisting>
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
<term>
|
|
|
|
<synopsis>
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable>
|
|
|
|
DROP DEFAULT <replaceable class="PARAMETER">default</replaceable>
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable>
|
|
|
|
DROP CONSTRAINT <replaceable class="PARAMETER">constraint</replaceable> { RESTRICT | CASCADE }
|
|
|
|
</synopsis>
|
|
|
|
</term>
|
|
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Removes the default value specified by default or the rule
|
|
|
|
specified by constraint from the definition of a table.
|
|
|
|
If RESTRICT is specified only a constraint with no dependent
|
|
|
|
constraints can be destroyed.
|
|
|
|
If CASCADE is specified, Any constraints that are dependent on
|
|
|
|
this constraint are also dropped.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Currently, to remove a default value or constraints on an
|
|
|
|
existing column the table must be recreated and reloaded:
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<programlisting>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
CREATE TABLE temp AS SELECT * FROM distributors;
|
|
|
|
DROP TABLE distributors;
|
|
|
|
CREATE TABLE distributors AS SELECT * FROM temp;
|
|
|
|
DROP TABLE temp;
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
</programlisting>
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
<term>
|
|
|
|
<synopsis>
|
|
|
|
ALTER TABLE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable>
|
|
|
|
DROP [ COLUMN ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">column</replaceable> { RESTRICT | CASCADE }
|
|
|
|
</synopsis>
|
|
|
|
</term>
|
|
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Removes a column from a table.
|
|
|
|
If RESTRICT is specified only a column with no dependent
|
|
|
|
objects can be destroyed.
|
|
|
|
If CASCADE is specified, all objects that are dependent on
|
|
|
|
this column are also dropped.
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
|
|
Currently, to remove an existing column the table must be
|
|
|
|
recreated and reloaded:
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
<programlisting>
|
1998-05-13 07:34:00 +02:00
|
|
|
CREATE TABLE temp AS SELECT did, city FROM distributors;
|
|
|
|
DROP TABLE distributors;
|
|
|
|
CREATE TABLE distributors (
|
|
|
|
did DECIMAL(3) DEFAULT 1,
|
|
|
|
name VARCHAR(40) NOT NULL,
|
|
|
|
);
|
|
|
|
INSERT INTO distributors SELECT * FROM temp;
|
|
|
|
DROP TABLE temp;
|
1999-07-06 19:16:42 +02:00
|
|
|
</programlisting>
|
|
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
</variablelist>
|
|
|
|
</refsect2>
|
|
|
|
</refsect1>
|
|
|
|
</refentry>
|
|
|
|
|
|
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<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
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Local variables:
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mode: sgml
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sgml-omittag:nil
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sgml-shorttag:t
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sgml-minimize-attributes:nil
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sgml-always-quote-attributes:t
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sgml-indent-step:1
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sgml-indent-data:t
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sgml-parent-document:nil
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sgml-default-dtd-file:"../reference.ced"
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sgml-exposed-tags:nil
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sgml-local-catalogs:"/usr/lib/sgml/catalog"
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sgml-local-ecat-files:nil
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End:
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-->
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