sp_repladdcolumn (Transact-SQL)

Adds a column to an existing table article that has been published. Allows the new column to be added to all publishers that publish this table, or just add the column to a specific publication that publishes the table. This stored procedure is executed at the Publisher on the publication database.

Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

sp_repladdcolumn [ @source_object = ] 'source_object', [ @column = ] 'column' ]
    [ , [ @typetext = ] 'typetext' ]
    [ , [ @publication_to_add = ] 'publication_to_add' ]
    [ , [ @from_agent = ] from_agent ]
    [ , [ @schema_change_script = ] 'schema_change_script' ]
    [ , [ @force_invalidate_snapshot = ] force_invalidate_snapshot ]
    [ , [ @force_reinit_subscription = ] force_reinit_subscription ]

Arguments

• [ @source_object=] 'source_object'
  Is the name of the table article that contains the new column to add. source_object is nvarchar(358), with no default.

• [ @column=] 'column'
  Is the name of the column in the table to be added for replication. column is sysname, with no default.

• [ @typetext=] 'typetext'
  Is the definition of the column being added. typetext is nvarchar(3000), with no default. For example, if the column order_filled is being added, and it is a single character field, not NULL, and has a default value of N, order_filled would be the column parameter, while the definition of the column, char(1) NOT NULL CONSTRAINT constraint_name DEFAULT 'N' would be the typetext parameter value.

• [ @publication_to_add=] 'publication_to_add'
  Is the name of the publication to which the new column is added. publication_to_add is nvarchar(4000), with a default of ALL. If ALL, then all publications containing this table are affected. If publication_to_add is specified, then only this publication has the new column added.

• [ @from_agent= ] from_agent
  If the stored procedure is being executed by a replication agent. from_agent is int, with a default of 0, where a value of 1 is used when this stored procedure is being executed by a replication agent, and in every other case the default value of 0 should be used.

• [ @schema_change_script=] 'schema_change_script'
  Specifies the name and path of a SQL Server script used to modify the system generated custom stored procedures. schema_change_script is nvarchar(4000), with a default of NULL. Replication allows user-defined custom stored procedures to replace one or more of the default procedures used in transactional replication. schema_change_script is executed after a schema change is made to a replicated table article using sp_repladdcolumn, and can be used to do one of the following:

  • If custom stored procedures are automatically regenerated, schema_change_script can be used to drop these custom stored procedures and replace them with user-defined custom stored procedures that supports the new schema.
  • If custom stored procedures are not automatically regenerated, schema_change_scriptcan be used to regenerate these stored procedures or to create user-defined custom stored procedures.

• [ @force_invalidate_snapshot = ] force_invalidate_snapshot
  Enables or disables the ability to have a snapshot invalidated. force_invalidate_snapshot is a bit, with a default of 1.

  1 specifies that changes to the article may cause the snapshot to be invalid, and if that is the case, a value of 1 gives permission for the new snapshot to occur.

  0 specifies that changes to the article do not cause the snapshot to be invalid.

• [ @force_reinit_subscription = ] force_reinit_subscription
  Enables or disables the ability to have the subscription reinitializated. force_reinit_subscription is a bit with a default of 0.

  0 specifies that changes to the article do not cause the subscription to be reinitialized.

  1 specifies that changes to the article may cause the subscription to be reinitialized, and if that is the case, a value of 1 gives permission for the subscription reinitialization to occur.

Return Code Values

0 (success) or 1 (failure)

Remarks

sp_repladdcolumn has been deprecated and is supplied for backward-compatibility only. Adding a column to a replicated table article should be done by executing data definition language (DDL) commands against the published table. Replication automatically replicates these DDL commands as long as DDL replication has been enabled. For more information, see Making Schema Changes on Publication Databases.

sp_repladdcolumn is still required when propagating DDL changes from republishing Subscribers running on an earlier version of SQL Server 2000 Subscribers.

sp_repladdcolumn is used for all types of replication.

When using sp_repladdcolumn, if a schema change is made to an article that belongs to a publication that uses a Data Transformation Services (DTS) package, the schema change is not propagated to the Subscriber, and the custom procedures for INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE are not regenerated on the Subscribers. The user needs to regenerate the DTS package manually, and make the corresponding schema change at the Subscribers. If the schema update is not applied, the Distribution Agent may fail to apply subsequent modifications. Before making a schema change, make sure there are no pending transactions to be delivered.

When typetext is assigned a default value that is a nondeterministic function (for example, 'datetime not null default getdate()'), non-convergence can occur after adding the new column because the function is executed at the subscriber in order to load a default value into the column.

Timestamp and computed columns are filtered out for character mode publications. If adding a timestamp or computed column using sp_repladdcolumn, subscriptions of such publications do not receive this new column.

Permissions

Only members of the sysadmin fixed server role and the db_owner fixed database role can execute sp_repladdcolumn.

See Also

Reference

System Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)

Other Resources

Deprecated Features in SQL Server 2005 Replication

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance