Re: Why oracle can't drop column?

From: Rob Edgar <robedgar_at_mersey.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 1 Aug 1998 01:38:30 +0800
Message-ID: <6psviq$2fg1@news.hk.linkage.net>

Well you can drop and recreate the table without the offending column and your application will still send in its millions of invalid requests, so I dont think thats the reason why you cant do it <g>

IMHO the reason is connected with data storage, you can always add columns as you can make more space available at worst by chaining the row BUT to remove a column from the middle of a row would leave a hole in it so you are required to drop and rebuild the table which result in a nice new table with no black holes....

Minor point as the end result is the same<g>

Rob

Jean-Philippe Squelbut wrote in message ...
>Because, to drop a column will invalidate all the millions of requests of
>your applications where the column is involved.
>You can't rename it (for the same reason).
>To add a column does not affect the existing requests.
>Goncharov V a Êcrit dans le message <35C15170.9E9C92CA_at_ftc.ru>...
>>Hi!
>>
>>Why oracle can't drop column?
>>It can add column and even rename it.
>>What is sence of this restriction?
>>Many of RDBMS ca do that.
>>
>>Best regard. Vovva
>
>
Received on Fri Jul 31 1998 - 12:38:30 CDT