Re: Alter Tables

"Richard Nield" <richard.nield_at_ntlworld.com> wrote in message news:Daxy8.8985$Mi.1299727_at_news2-win.server.ntlworld.com...
> Hi...I was wondering what the general opnion of my problem below muight
be.
> I had just finished creating and population our new db for 2003/2004,
when
> the client contacts me with some changes he needs fro this year. When I
> look into his requiremts, I see the only way I can complete the task is by
> adding a new field to the ITEMS tablle. But that's ok, I think, I can use
> an ALTER statement to update the table in sqlplus and update the ERD in
> designer later.
> I tell my boss what I planned to to do and he says that I am not allowed
to
> do that I have to:
>
> 1. Exoport the data from the current DB.
> 2 Drop the schema
> 3. Update design and generate the DDL
> 4. Create new scehema and run the DDL
> 5. Import the data.
>
> My question is: is this the "way to do it " or is he just being
> dificult?
> Mny thanks for any advice!
> Richard N
>
>

What I would do is
a in designer change the ERD
b regenerate the schema
c *reconcile* the schema in Designer with the real database (This will actually run your alter table statement) d do the export import hassle

Your boss is about right: He knows from his experience it is very easy to forget to update the ERD. This will bring the ERD, the schema in Designer, and the real life database further and further out of sync, to the point no one knows what is the correct situation. His procedures are cumbersome and unnecessary though.

Hth

--
Sybrand "Solomon" Bakker
Senior Oracle DBA

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