Re: Dropping a field from a table

From: Thomas Kyte <tkyte_at_us.oracle.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 12:46:48 GMT
Message-ID: <372b5fb5.6882586@192.86.155.100>

A copy of this was sent to "Colin Basterfield" <colinb_at_areagem.demon.co.uk> (if that email address didn't require changing) On Mon, 26 Apr 1999 12:10:55 +0100, you wrote:

>Hello,
>
> Perhaps a stupid question, but i can't find anywhere how to delete a
>field from a table. Is it possible?
>

before Oracle8i, release 8.1 -- no, there is no command to drop a column.

In Oracle8i, release 8.1 you can:

set a column to unused -- flag deletes a column, column appears to be gone but still consumes space on disk

drop a column -- column is physically removed

drop unused -- reclaims space from flag deleted columns.

Prior to that, you would either:

• drop and recreate the table. this is equivalent to dropping the column as it reclaims space.
• rename the table to something else and create a view that selects out all but the columns you wish to drop. this is the same as setting unused.

>TIA
>Colin B
>
 

Thomas Kyte
tkyte_at_us.oracle.com
Oracle Service Industries
Reston, VA USA

--
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Opinions are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of Oracle Corporation Received on Mon Apr 26 1999 - 07:46:48 CDT