ALTER ENTITY

Synopsis

ALTER ENTITY module.name ADD ( attribute_definition [, ...] )

ALTER ENTITY module.name DROP ( attribute_name [, ...] )

ALTER ENTITY module.name MODIFY ( attribute_definition [, ...] )

ALTER ENTITY module.name RENAME old_name TO new_name

ALTER ENTITY module.name ADD INDEX ( column [ ASC | DESC ] [, ...] )

ALTER ENTITY module.name DROP INDEX ( column [, ...] )

ALTER ENTITY module.name SET DOCUMENTATION 'text'

ALTER ENTITY modifies an existing entity without replacing it entirely. This is useful for incremental changes to a domain model – adding a new attribute, removing an obsolete one, renaming for clarity, or managing indexes.

Each ALTER ENTITY statement performs exactly one operation. To make multiple changes, issue multiple statements.

The ADD operation appends one or more new attributes to the entity. Attribute definitions follow the same syntax as in CREATE ENTITY: a name, a data type, and optional constraints (NOT NULL, UNIQUE, DEFAULT).

The DROP operation removes one or more attributes by name. Dropping an attribute also removes any validation rules and index entries that reference it.

The MODIFY operation changes the type or constraints of existing attributes. The attribute name must already exist in the entity. The full attribute definition (type and constraints) replaces the current one.

The RENAME operation changes an attribute’s name. This updates references within the entity but does not automatically update microflows, pages, or access rules that reference the old name.

The ADD INDEX and DROP INDEX operations manage database indexes. Index columns may include an optional ASC or DESC sort direction.

The SET DOCUMENTATION operation replaces the entity’s documentation string.

Parameters

module.name: The qualified name of the entity to modify, in the form Module.EntityName.
attribute_definition: An attribute name followed by a colon, data type, and optional constraints. Same syntax as in CREATE ENTITY.
attribute_name: The name of an existing attribute to drop.
old_name: The current name of the attribute to rename.
new_name: The new name for the attribute.
column: An attribute name for the index, optionally followed by ASC or DESC.
text: A single-quoted string to use as the entity’s documentation.

Examples

Add new attributes

ALTER ENTITY Sales.Customer
    ADD (Phone: String(50), Notes: String(unlimited));

Drop an attribute

ALTER ENTITY Sales.Customer
    DROP (Notes);

Modify an attribute’s type

ALTER ENTITY Sales.Customer
    MODIFY (Phone: String(100) NOT NULL);

Rename an attribute

ALTER ENTITY Sales.Customer
    RENAME Phone TO PhoneNumber;

Add an index

ALTER ENTITY Sales.Customer
    ADD INDEX (Email);

Add a composite index with sort direction

ALTER ENTITY Sales.Order
    ADD INDEX (CustomerId, OrderDate DESC);

Drop an index

ALTER ENTITY Sales.Customer
    DROP INDEX (Email);

Set documentation

ALTER ENTITY Sales.Customer
    SET DOCUMENTATION 'Customer master data for the sales module.';

Notes

Each ALTER ENTITY statement performs a single operation. Chain multiple statements for multiple changes.
RENAME does not update references in microflows, pages, or access rules. Update those separately or use SHOW IMPACT OF to find affected elements.
DROP removes the attribute’s validation rules and index entries automatically.

mxcli Documentation