RE: Add column(s) to an existing table

From: Bobak, Mark <Mark.Bobak_at_il.proquest.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 17:55:07 -0400
Message-ID: <AA29A27627F842409E1D18FB19CDCF2708F5A795@AABO-EXCHANGE02.bos.il.pqe>

Adding columns to a table of any arbitrary size is simply a DDL (data dictionary) operation. The only reason you'd need to visit every row is if the column you were adding was specifying a non-null default value.  

-Mark
 

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Mark J. Bobak
Senior Oracle Architect
ProQuest Information & Learning

Ours is the age that is proud of machines that can think and suspicious of men who try to. --H. Mumford Jones, 1892-1980  

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From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org
[mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] On Behalf Of Roger Xu Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 5:50 PM
To: Oracle-L_at_Freelists. Org (E-mail)
Subject: Add column(s) to an existing table

Hi List,         

                Does the following SQL touch every single row immediately?

		ALTER TABLE supplier
		ADD (supplier_tax_id varchar2(10),
		            supplier_timezone varchar2(5) ); 

		What is the best way to add column(s) to an existing

table with millions of rows?

                Thanks,

                Roger

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http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l Received on Tue Aug 01 2006 - 16:55:07 CDT