Please start any new threads on our new 
    site at https://forums.sqlteam.com.  We've got lots of great SQL Server
    experts to answer whatever question you can come up with.
    
        
            
                
                    
                        
                            
                                | Author | 
                                
                                 Topic  | 
                             
                            
                                    | 
                                         rammohan 
                                        Posting Yak  Master 
                                         
                                        
                                        212 Posts  | 
                                        
                                        
                                            
                                            
                                             Posted - 2010-02-05 : 03:07:41
                                            
  | 
                                             
                                            
                                            | hi,i want to alter a column in sqlserver 6.5, i want to increase the length of column. follwing code throwing error :ALTER TABLE Trace ALTER COLUMN [Message] varchar(8000) ::in correct syntaxt near column.please show me a wayOne can never consent to creep,when one feels an impulse to soarRAMMOHAN | 
                                             
                                         
                                     | 
                             
       
                            
                       
                          
                            
                                    | 
                                     Kristen 
                                    Test 
                                     
                                    
                                    22859 Posts  | 
                                    
                                      
                                        
                                          
                                           
                                            Posted - 2010-02-05 : 04:03:51
                                          
  | 
                                         
                                        
                                          | I think you have to rebuild the whole table to extend a column, don't you?Drop constaints and foreign keysCreate a new, temporary, table with desired changesReapply constraintsINSERT INTO TempTable SELECT * FROM OriginalTableDrop original tableRename TempTable to OriginalTableReapply PK and indexes and FKeysPersonally I would make the changes in Table Designer in a more recent version of SQL, script the change, and then apply the script to the old database.  | 
                                         
                                        
                                            | 
                                         
                                       
                                     | 
                                   
                            
                            
                                | 
                                    
                                      
                                     
                                    
                                 | 
                             
                         
                     | 
                 
             
         |