How to Add a Column in ParadeDB (PostgreSQL)

How do I add a column to an existing ParadeDB table?

ALTER TABLE ... ADD COLUMN adds a new column to an existing ParadeDB table without recreating the table.

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Description

Why use ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN?

Add new data points—like last_login—to production tables without full table rebuilds. The command is transactional and keeps existing data intact.

What is the basic ParadeDB syntax?

Run ALTER TABLE table_name ADD [COLUMN] column_name data_type [options];.The keyword COLUMN is optional and purely for readability.

How do I add a simple column?

ALTER TABLE Customers ADD COLUMN phone VARCHAR(20); instantly creates a phone field for every customer.

Can I add a NOT NULL column with a default?

Yes—use DEFAULT then back-fill automatically: ALTER TABLE Orders ADD COLUMN status TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT 'pending';.

How to add a column after another column?

PostgreSQL stores column order but you can’t specify position.Use SELECT * with explicit column list or view.

How to add multiple columns at once?

Combine with commas: ALTER TABLE Products ADD COLUMN weight NUMERIC, ADD COLUMN dimensions TEXT;.

How to add a column with foreign-key reference?

ALTER TABLE OrderItems ADD COLUMN product_id INT REFERENCES Products(id); enforces referential integrity.

Best practices for production

1) Always test in staging. 2) Add DEFAULT before NOT NULL to avoid table rewrite.3) Wrap in transactions for rollbacks.

How to revert an accidental column?

Use ALTER TABLE table_name DROP COLUMN column_name; in the same transaction if needed.

Does ParadeDB support online ADD COLUMN?

Yes. The operation is metadata-only unless a NOT NULL constraint without DEFAULT forces a full rewrite—avoid that pitfall.

FAQs

Is ADD COLUMN blocking?

Metadata-only adds are fast and non-blocking.Adding NOT NULL without a default rewrites the table and can block.

Can I compute the new column from existing data?

Yes—add the column nullable, run an UPDATE to populate, then set NOT NULL.

Why How to Add a Column in ParadeDB (PostgreSQL) is important

How to Add a Column in ParadeDB (PostgreSQL) Example Usage


-- Add a shipped_at timestamp to Orders and autofill existing shipped orders
BEGIN;
ALTER TABLE Orders
    ADD COLUMN shipped_at TIMESTAMPTZ;
UPDATE Orders SET shipped_at = order_date + INTERVAL '2 days'
  WHERE total_amount > 0;
COMMIT;

How to Add a Column in ParadeDB (PostgreSQL) Syntax


ALTER TABLE table_name
    ADD [COLUMN] column_name data_type [COLLATE collation]
    [DEFAULT default_expr]
    [NOT NULL | NULL]
    [UNIQUE]
    [PRIMARY KEY]
    [REFERENCES reftable (refcolumn)]
    [CHECK (expression)]
    [, ADD COLUMN ...];

-- Ecommerce example
ALTER TABLE Customers
    ADD COLUMN vip BOOLEAN NOT NULL DEFAULT FALSE;

Common Mistakes

Adding NOT NULL without DEFAULT forces a table rewrite. Fix by specifying DEFAULT first, then alter to NOT NULL after data is back-filled.
Forgetting to wrap ADD COLUMN with related data updates in a transaction causes inconsistent states. Always BEGIN; ... COMMIT;.