How to Add a Column to a Temporal Table in SQL

Adding a New Column to a Temporal Table

Write a SQL query to add a new column to a temporal table.

Solution:

-- Add a new column to the Employees temporal table.
ALTER TABLE Employees ADD Department NVARCHAR(50);

Explanation:

• Purpose of the Query :
• The goal is to demonstrate how to add a new column to a temporal table.
• Key Components :
• ALTER TABLE: Modifies the table schema.
• ADD Department: Adds a new column to store department information.
• Why Add a Column? :
• Adding columns extends the functionality of the table without disrupting versioning.
• It supports evolving business requirements.
• Real-World Application :
• In organizational systems, adding a department column tracks employee assignments.

Additional Notes:

• Ensure that the new column does not interfere with system-versioning.
• Update application logic to handle the new column.
• Important Considerations:
• Test schema changes in a development environment first.

For more Practice: Solve these Related Problems:

• Write a SQL query to add a new column named "Department" to a temporal table named "Employees".
• Write a SQL query to add a nullable column named "HireDate" to an existing temporal table.
• Write a SQL query to add a computed column named "FullName" that concatenates FirstName and LastName in a temporal table.
• Write a SQL query to add a new column named "Salary" with a default value of 0 to a temporal table.

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Previous SQL Exercise: Restoring a Table to a Previous State Using Temporal Data.
Next SQL Exercise: Dropping a Column from a Temporal Table.