Re: Can we change the column width of a column in a live database?

On Mon, 28 Sep 1998 12:04:41 -0700, joe vigil <avimis@ix.netcom.com> wrote: >We've discovered that you must recompile 4gl programs that use an altered table >(at least on the standard engine). Otherwise inserts and updates can put >scrambled data into a row... Not if you write your insert and update statements properly. If you use define ... record like tablename.* and then use select * from that table into this record of course it may get scrambled. Similarly if you use update tablename set tablename.* = recordname.* ... Noone does this in a real application after a while with 4GL programming. About the change of the with of a column in a live database sure you can do it. If your application is well written it will in report the locked table to the users and ask them to wait. In 7.3 with in place alter table the locking will also last for a very short while as I understand it. I believe the change is only done in the system tables initially and on the data only when they are updated. >jblatz@worldnet.att.net wrote: > >> In article <360A3B74.E19E7249@vbws01.ba.ford.com>, >> Saleem Mohammad <smohamm1@vbws01.ba.ford.com> wrote: >> > Hi Everyone >> > >> > Can we change the ( I have to increase the width of character >> > filed in a table of a live database) width of a column in a >> > live database??? Please let me know. >> > >> > Thank You >> > Saleem >> > >> >> I don't know what version you are running, but it probably is the same for >> them all. In order to change the column width you must do an 'alter table'. >> This will lock that table in exclusive mode which means it cannot be accessed >> until the alter is complete. It will not effect the rest of the database >> except perhaps in terms of performance. >> >> -----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==----- >> http://www.dejanews.com/rg_mkgrp.xp Create Your Own Free Member Forum > > > Nils Myklebust NM Data AS Norway E-mail: Nils.Myklebust@nmdata.com FAQ at: http://www.iiug.org/techinfo/faq/faq_top.html (Now with ODBC info under "Third party products".)