increase size of varchar column.. table being replicated..

I have a table that is being replicated.. i would like to
increase the size of this column.. Is there a way to do
this without dropping the subscription?
Thanks,
niv
It can be done indirectly but it's not nice! You could add a new column with
the new datatype (sp_repladdcolumn), do an update on the table to populate
the column, then drop the column (sp_repldropcolumn). Do this again to
create the column having the same original name.
Alternatively, as you say, you can drop the publication then recreate from
scratch.
We're hoping that such things will be simpler in SQL Server 2005.
Regards,
Paul Ibison
sql

Incorrect column order in syscolumns / Information_schema.columns

When dropping a column, syscolumns keeps the old ordinal
for the following columns. Is this correct / expected
behavior?
This also affects Information_schema.Columns. See example
below.
Is there any SUPPORTED way to refresh or update this info?
Regards
Hans Schyldt
Drop Table HS_Test
go
CREATE TABLE [dbo].[HS_Test] (
[C1] [int] IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL ,
[C2] [int] NOT NULL ,
[C3] [varchar] (10) NOT NULL ,
[C4] [varchar] (10) NOT NULL) ON [PRIMARY]
go
select
T1.Table_Name, T1.Column_Name, T1.Ordinal_Position
from Information_Schema.Columns as T1
where T1.Table_Name = 'HS_Test'
order by T1.Ordinal_Position
go
alter table HS_Test
Drop Column C2
go
select
T1.Table_Name, T1.Column_Name, T1.Ordinal_Position
from Information_Schema.Columns as T1
where T1.Table_Name = 'HS_Test'
order by T1.Ordinal_Position
go
Drop Table HS_Test
goThis is correct behavior, but can be annoying.
Lot of people will argue that order and ordinal numbers do not matter, but
they matter to me.
What I did to correct this, was making a change with the Enterprise Manager
and reversing that change. Using such a change that the enterprise manager
rebuilds the whole table. In this way my ordinals where again as they were
in other databases. (So I could compare the databases again). This worked
fast enough so I didn't look for 'simpler' commands which only changed
metadata.
ben brugman
"Hans Schyldt" <hans.reply_to_forum.schyldt@.intentia.se> wrote in message
news:0e4701c367e7$70a16ec0$a101280a@.phx.gbl...
> When dropping a column, syscolumns keeps the old ordinal
> for the following columns. Is this correct / expected
> behavior?
> This also affects Information_schema.Columns. See example
> below.
> Is there any SUPPORTED way to refresh or update this info?
> Regards
> Hans Schyldt
>
> Drop Table HS_Test
> go
> CREATE TABLE [dbo].[HS_Test] (
> [C1] [int] IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL ,
> [C2] [int] NOT NULL ,
> [C3] [varchar] (10) NOT NULL ,
> [C4] [varchar] (10) NOT NULL) ON [PRIMARY]
> go
> select
> T1.Table_Name, T1.Column_Name, T1.Ordinal_Position
> from Information_Schema.Columns as T1
> where T1.Table_Name = 'HS_Test'
> order by T1.Ordinal_Position
> go
> alter table HS_Test
> Drop Column C2
> go
> select
> T1.Table_Name, T1.Column_Name, T1.Ordinal_Position
> from Information_Schema.Columns as T1
> where T1.Table_Name = 'HS_Test'
> order by T1.Ordinal_Position
> go
> Drop Table HS_Test
> go