Re: How to modify ENUM datatypes?

On Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 3:31 PM, D. Dante Lorenso <dante(at)lorenso(dot)com> wrote:

> All,
>
> In the past I have used foreign keys to lookup tables for small lists of
> values that I now think ENUM could do the job of. I was hoping that by
> using ENUM, I would avoid having to do joins in my queries, and that I'd be
> making the data more robust and faster.
>
> I used to have a table for account_status:
>
> A | Active
> B | Billing Failed
> C | Closed
> D | Deactivated
>
> account.acct_type CHAR references account_type.acct_type CHAR
>
> But, now I've converted that to an ENUM:
>
> ACTIVE
> BILLING_FAILED
> CLOSED
> DEACTIVATED
>
> account.acct_type ENUM account_type
>
> The problem is that once I create a column in my account table that uses
> this 'account_type' datatype, I can't seem to change or add to it any more.
> I want to add a new value or edit/delete an existing one.
>
> How do you make changes to an ENUM datatype that is already in use?
>

I agree with others that ENUMs stop looking pretty when you need to modify
them...

Here's a thread from recent past where this exact problem was discussed...
maybe it'll interest you...

http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-general/2007-12/msg01363.php

Best regards,
--
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