Re: [GENERAL] Re: More PostgreSQL stuff

> On Fri, 2 Oct 1998, Oliver Elphick wrote:
>
> > > . I wonder how one could add or remove columns from existing tables.
> > >
> > > With mSQL this was possible with a trick. You had to dump the
> > > whole table but you could tell the dump program to add dummy fields
> > > or to leave out existing fields. Is there any such possibility
> > > with PostgreSQL?
>
> chk out the 'ALTER TABLE' man page...you can add columns quite
> easily using this. removing coloumsn is a little more tricky at this
> point in time, but we're hoping to add it to the ALTER TABLE syntax 'in
> the future'.
>
> Basically, to drop a column, do an 'INSERT INTO...SELECT FROM' (my
> syntax may be slightly off, please check man pages) from the table you
> want to remove the column from, such that you only insert the columns you
> want to remain. Then, when finished, do a ... damn, haven't used this one
> yet, so don't remember what the 'command' is...but there is one to do a
> RENAME of a table...rename the old to something different, and rename the
> new to the old...

This is an FAQ item.

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