ALTER TABLE statement

Syntax

ALTER TABLE table-Name
{
    ADD COLUMN column-definition |
    ADD CONSTRAINT clause |
    DROP { PRIMARY KEY | FOREIGN KEY constraint-name | UNIQUE 
	 constraint-name | CHECK constraint-name | CONSTRAINT constraint-name }
    ALTER column-alteration |
    LOCKSIZE { ROW | TABLE }
}

In the column-alteration, SET INCREMENT BY integer-constant, specifies the interval between consecutive values of the identity column. The next value to be generated for the identity column will be determined from the last assigned value with the increment applied. The column must already be defined with the IDENTITY attribute.

ALTER TABLE does not affect any view that references the table being altered. This includes views that have an "*" in their SELECT list. You must drop and re-create those views if you wish them to return the new columns.

Adding columns

The syntax for the column-definition for a new column is the same as for a column in a CREATE TABLE statement. This means that a column constraint can be placed on the new column within the ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN statement. However, a column with a NOT NULL constraint can be added to an existing table if you give a default value; otherwise, an exception is thrown when the ALTER TABLE statement is executed.

Just as in CREATE TABLE, if the column definition includes a unique or primary key constraint, the column cannot contain null values, so the NOT NULL attribute must also be specified (SQLSTATE 42831).

Adding constraints

For information on the syntax of constraints, see CONSTRAINT clause. Use the syntax for table-level constraint when adding a constraint with the ADD TABLE ADD CONSTRAINT syntax.

Dropping constraints

ALTER TABLE DROP CONSTRAINT drops a constraint on an existing table. To drop an unnamed constraint, you must specify the generated constraint name stored in SYS.SYSCONSTRAINTS as a delimited identifier.

Dropping a primary key, unique, or foreign key constraint drops the physical index that enforces the constraint (also known as a backing index).

Modifying columns

Setting defaults

You can specify a default value for a new column. A default value is the value that is inserted into a column if no other value is specified. If not explicitly specified, the default value of a column is NULL. If you add a default to a new column, existing rows in the table gain the default value in the new column.

For more information about defaults, see CREATE TABLE statement.

Changing the lock granularity for the table

The LOCKSIZE clause allows you to override row-level locking for the specific table, if your system uses the default setting of row-level locking. (If your system is set for table-level locking, you cannot change the locking granularity to row-level locking, although Derby allows you to use the LOCKSIZE clause in such a situation without throwing an exception.) To override row-level locking for the specific table, set locking for the table to TABLE. If you created the table with table-level locking granularity, you can change locking back to ROW with the LOCKSIZE clause in the ALTER TABLE STATEMENT. For information about why this is sometimes useful, see Tuning Derby.

Examples

-- Add a new column with a column-level constraint
-- to an existing table
-- An exception will be thrown if the table
-- contains any rows
-- since the newcol will be initialized to NULL
-- in all existing rows in the table
ALTER TABLE CITIES ADD COLUMN REGION VARCHAR(26)
CONSTRAINT NEW_CONSTRAINT CHECK (REGION IS NOT NULL);

-- Add a new unique constraint to an existing table
-- An exception will be thrown if duplicate keys are found
ALTER TABLE SAMP.DEPARTMENT
ADD CONSTRAINT NEW_UNIQUE UNIQUE (DEPTNO);

-- add a new foreign key constraint to the
-- Cities table. Each row in Cities is checked
-- to make sure it satisfied the constraints.
-- if any rows don't satisfy the constraint, the
-- constraint is not added
ALTER TABLE CITIES ADD CONSTRAINT COUNTRY_FK
Foreign Key (COUNTRY) REFERENCES COUNTRIES (COUNTRY);

-- Add a primary key constraint to a table
-- First, create a new table
CREATE TABLE ACTIVITIES (CITY_ID INT NOT NULL,
SEASON CHAR(2), ACTIVITY VARCHAR(32) NOT NULL);
-- You will not be able to add this constraint if the
-- columns you are including in the primary key have
-- null data or duplicate values.
ALTER TABLE Activities ADD PRIMARY KEY (city_id, activity);

-- Drop a primary key constraint from the CITIES table

ALTER TABLE Cities DROP CONSTRAINT Cities_PK;
-- Drop a foreign key constraint from the CITIES table
ALTER TABLE Cities DROP CONSTRAINT COUNTRIES_FK;
-- add a DEPTNO column with a default value of 1
ALTER TABLE SAMP.EMP_ACT ADD COLUMN DEPTNO INT DEFAULT 1;
-- increase the width of a VARCHAR column
ALTER TABLE SAMP.EMP_PHOTO ALTER PHOTO_FORMAT SET DATA TYPE VARCHAR(30);
-- change the lock granularity of a table
ALTER TABLE SAMP.SALES LOCKSIZE TABLE;

Results

An ALTER TABLE statement causes all statements that are dependent on the table being altered to be recompiled before their next execution. ALTER TABLE is not allowed if there are any open cursors that reference the table being altered.