Hi Mike, Here is what I have tried. Please tell me what I was doing wrong: SQL> create table a(id integer constraint a_pk primary key, b clob); Table created. SQL> create table b(id integer constraint b_pk primary key, b integer constraint b_fk references a(id) deferrable); Table created. SQL> set constraints all deferred; Constraint set. SQL> drop table a; drop table a * ERROR at line 1: ORA-02449: unique/primary keys in table referenced by foreign keys SQL> I have also tried to add the deferrable attribute to the primary key constraint of the table a: SQL> create table a(id integer constraint a_pk primary key deferrable, b clob); Table created. SQL> create table b(id integer constraint b_pk primary key, b integer constraint b_fk references a(id) deferrable); Table created. SQL> set constraints all deferred; Constraint set. SQL> drop table a; drop table a * ERROR at line 1: ORA-02449: unique/primary keys in table referenced by foreign keys SQL> Thanks. Octavian ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Haddon" <m.haddon@xxxxxxxxx> To: <orasnita@xxxxxxxxx> Cc: "oracle-l" <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 5:11 PM Subject: Re: Drop a table with foreign key constraints > set constraints all deferred; > > <drop and recreate table the way you need to. (make sure data is back)> > > set constraints all immediate; > > Mike > > > Octavian Rasnita wrote: >> Hello, >> >> I want to make some changes in a table, like changing the order and >> type of its columns, adding some new columns after or before some >> specified columns and so on, but I understood that this is not >> possible in Oracle without re-creating the table. >> >> Because of this, I want to drop the current table and create a new >> one, but many other tables have foreign keys that depend on this >> table, so it can't be dropped easy. >> >> I know that I could just use >> drop table table_name cascade constraints; >> but this would drop all the constraints from those many tables and it >> would be hard to re-create them again (and I might miss some of them). >> >> Is there a way of disabling all the constraints regarding the table >> that should be deleted, drop the table and then enable the constraints >> again in an easy way? >> >> Thanks. >> >> -- >> Octavian >> >> >> __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus >> signature database 5324 (20100729) __________ >> >> The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. >> >> http://www.eset.com > -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l