Updating Field Attributes

Maintaining Tables with Related Constraints › Impact of Changing Structure Definitions on Constraints › Updating Field Attributes

Updating Field Attributes

When you update FIELD entity-occurrence attributes, changing the following attribute-values affect constraints:

AFTER
CLASS
DECIMALS
LENGTH
NULL-INDICATOR
OFFSET
REDEFINES
REPEAT
SIGN
SQLNAME
TYPE
TYPE-NUMERIC
Updating other attributes does not affect constraints.

Attribute	Type of Constraint	Effect on Constraint
LENGTH	Check and Foreign	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change and because the length of the table also changes. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. The referencing constraints also become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
OFFSET	Check and Foreign	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change and because the length of the table also changes. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. The referencing constraints also become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is. accessed.
AFTER	Check and Foreign	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. The referencing constraints also become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
REPEAT	Check and Foreign	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change and because the length of the table also changes. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. The referencing constraints also become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
NULL- INDICATOR	Check and Foreign	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change and because the length of the table also changes. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. The referencing constraints also become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
TYPE	Check and Foreign	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because the offsets stored in the object change and because the length of the table also changes. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. The referencing constraints also become invalid. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
DECIMALS	Check, Foreign,and Unique	Constraints become invalid because the data stored in the object may need to be updated as a result of this change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. The referencing constraints also become invalid and are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
REDEFINES (updating from N to S or P for constraint field)	Check	CA Datacom Datadictionary generates a DSF return code CON when you attempt to change the value of this attribute from N to S or P. It is the same as deleting a field from the table. Drop the constraint before making the change.
	Foreign and Unique	This action is not allowed because the rebind recreates the key as before adding a new key since the source of the constraints reflects the old column list. CA Datacom Datadictionary generates a DSF return code CON when you attempt to change the value of this attribute from N to S or P. Drop the constraint before making the change.
REDEFINES (updating from N to S or P for other fields)	Check and Foreign	Constraints become invalid because offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because offsets stored in the object change and because the length of the table also changes. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. The referencing constraints also become invalid and are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
REDEFINES (updating from S or P to N)	Check	Constraints become invalid because offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Foreign	CA Datacom Datadictionary generates a DSF return code CON when you attempt to change this value from S or P to N, if the field is in a key representing a Foreign constraint. If the field being updated is not in the Foreign key, all Foreign constraints become invalid.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because offsets stored in the object change and because the length of the table also changes. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. Because this action is the same as adding a field, it is not allowed if the field is in a key that represents a Unique constraint. CA Datacom Datadictionary generates a DSF return code CON if you attempt to change a field in this manner. The referencing constraints also become invalid and are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
CLASS (updating from S to another value for constraint field)	Check	CA Datacom Datadictionary generates a DSF return code CON when you attempt to change the value of this attribute to another value from S, since this is the equivalent of deleting a column for SQL. Drop the constraint before making the change.
	Foreign and Unique	This action is not allowed because the rebind recreates the key as it was before adding a new key since the source of the constraints reflects the old column list. CA Datacom Datadictionary generates a DSF return code CON when you attempt to change the value of this attribute from S to another value. Drop the constraint before making the change.
CLASS (updating from S to another value for other fields)	Check and Foreign	Constraints become invalid because offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because offsets stored in the object change and because the length of the table also changes. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. The referencing constraints also become invalid and are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
CLASS (updating to S)	Check	Constraints become invalid because offsets stored in the object change. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
	Foreign	CA Datacom Datadictionary generates a DSF return code CON when you attempt to change this value to an S if the field is in a key representing a Foreign constraint. If the field being updated is not in the Foreign key, all Foreign constraints become invalid.
	Unique	Constraints become invalid because offsets stored in the object change and because the length of the table also changes. The constraints are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed. Because this action is the same as adding a field, it is not allowed if the field is in a key that represents a Unique constraint. CA Datacom Datadictionary generates a DSF return code CON if you attempt to change a field in this manner. The referencing constraints also become invalid and are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
SIGN or TYPE- NUMERIC (for constraint field)	Check, Foreign, and Unique	Constraints become invalid because the data stored in the object may need to be updated as a result of this change. The referencing constraints also become invalid and are rebound by SQL the next time the table is accessed.
SQLNAME	Check, Foreign, and Unique	Not allowed in PROD status. CA Datacom Datadictionary generates an error (SB9). Not allowed in TEST status if the field is related to a constraint of any type. CA Datacom Datadictionary generates a DSF return code CON.