[DOCS] Adding a Column: default values now allowed

[Michael Fuhr]

PostgreSQL 8.0.0rc4

5.6.1 "Adding a Column" says:

  Also, you cannot define a default value on a new column.  According
  to the SQL standard, this would have to fill the new columns in the
  existing rows with the default value, which is not implemented yet.

Adding a column with a default appears to be implemented now:

CREATE TABLE foo (label text);
INSERT INTO foo VALUES ('item 1');
INSERT INTO foo VALUES ('item 2');
INSERT INTO foo VALUES ('item 3');
ALTER TABLE foo ADD COLUMN value integer DEFAULT 123;
SELECT * FROM foo;
 label  | value 
+---
 item 1 |   123
 item 2 |   123
 item 3 |   123
(3 rows)

-- 
Michael Fuhr
http://www.fuhr.org/~mfuhr/

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Re: [DOCS] Adding a Column: default values now allowed

[Tom Lane]

Michael Fuhr <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> PostgreSQL 8.0.0rc4
> 5.6.1 "Adding a Column" says:

>   Also, you cannot define a default value on a new column.  According
>   to the SQL standard, this would have to fill the new columns in the
>   existing rows with the default value, which is not implemented yet.

Drat, I thought I'd caught all those.  Thanks.

regards, tom lane

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