How to delete table column with its data with SQL command. I need the exact syntax of the command

Question

Question

I have a table in the development and want to erase data from certain columns. There is info in the docs but not for human

This piece of code does not work

ALTER TABLE table DROP COLUMN column %DELDATA

Product version: IRIS 2024.3

Discussion (3)3

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David Van De Griek · May 12

This is technically a defect that we should correct.

Note that for some storage models the data is deleted. For example, if the column uses Columnar Storage instead of Row Storage, the data is deleted.

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score 0 · Answer 1 · 2025-05-08T08:53:08-04:00

Try modifying the default action RESTRICT for CASCADE like this:

ALTER TABLE table DROP COLUMN column CASCADE %DELDATA

https://docs.intersystems.com/iris20251/csp/docbook/DocBook.UI.Page.cls?...

score 0 · Answer 2 · 2025-05-09T07:17:34-04:00

Thanks for the reply.

CASCADE means that the data is deleted also in parent and child tables, RESTRICT means that only parent data is deleted. Changing the default RESTRICT does nothing, the data is still there

Any other option?

UPD: i've managed to delete data with

UPDATE TABLE table SET column = NULL

But issue is still open, why %DELDATA do nothing