RE: AW: ALTER TABLE DROP COLUMN

Inoue san,

> This style of "DROP COLUMN" would change the attribute
> numbers whose positons are after the dropped column.
> Unfortunately we have no mechanism to invalidate/remove
> objects(or prepared plans) which uses such attribute numbers.

1 create table alpha( id int4, payload text );
2 insert into alpha( id, payload ) values( 0, 'zero' );
3 create table t( payload text );
4 insert into t( payload ) select payload from alpha;
5 drop table alpha;
6 alter table t rename to alpha;

Not a big deal, right? Also, drop column isn't really needed
that often and requires alot of manual processing, like updating
views/rules/procedures etc.
On the other hand, when dropping a column (multiple columns) in a table
with 10+ columns, statements 3 and 4 above may become quite painfull.
It'd be nice if drop column were `expanded' to appropriate queries
automatically. Not sure about abovementioned attribute numbers in such
case.
In general, however, if drop column is the only statement that is likely
to affect attribute numbers this way (assuming that add column always adds
and never inserts an attribute), then a fairly simple function in plpgsql,
shipped with template1 will probably do. At least it should work to drop a
single column, because full-featured function will require argument list of
variable length.

Ed

---
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And I have tried to be mild
But I spat like a woman
And I sulked like a child
I have lived behind the walls
That have made me alone
Striven for peace
Which I never have known

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