A column is a structured field in a table that stores a specific type of data, such as text, numbers, images, or files.
In Database Explorer, you can perform operations on columns by using the shortcut menu. Right-click a column in Database Explorer to access commands for specific tasks, such as creating, editing, deleting, or renaming a column.
1. In Database Explorer, right-click the Columns node and select New Column.
2. On the Columns tab of Table Editor, configure the column properties:
2.1. Right-click the Columns grid and select New Column.
2.2. Enter the column name and set a data type.
3. Click Apply Changes.
1. In Database Explorer, right-click the column you want to edit and select Edit Column.
2. On the Columns tab of Table Editor, update the column properties.
3. Click Apply Changes.
1. In Database Explorer, right-click the column you want to delete and select Delete, or press Delete.
2. Click Yes to confirm deleting the column, or No to discard the operation.
1. In Database Explorer, right-click the column you want to rename and select Rename, or press F2.
2. Enter the new column name.
3. Click Yes to confirm the renaming of the column.
View the column properties in one of these ways:
Object Viewer opens, displaying detailed information about the column.
To update the column to reflect the latest changes, in Database Explorer, right-click the column or Columns node and select Refresh, or press F5.
To open the Properties window, in Database Explorer, right-click the column and select Properties, or press F4.
1. In Database Explorer, right-click the Columns node and select Filter.
2. In the Filter Settings dialog, configure the filter parameters.
3. Click OK to apply the filter.
Note
When you open the Columns node, the number of objects it contains appears in parentheses next to the node name. This number changes based on your filter settings.
The following table describes the shortcut menu options, which appear when you right-click a specific column in Database Explorer.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Edit Column | Opens the Columns tab of Table Editor to modify an existing column. |
| Show Details | Opens Object Viewer to view object details. |
| Source Control > Source Control Manager | Opens Source Control Manager, where you can track and manage changes to database schema and static data. When Source Control Manager is already open, this option refreshes it. |
| Source Control > Commit | Opens Source Control Manager with all local changes (if any) selected and ready to commit. When Source Control Manager is already open, this option refreshes it and selects all local database changes. |
| Source Control > Get Latest | Opens Source Control Manager with all remote changes (if any) selected, ready to pull using Get Latest. When Source Control Manager is already open, this option refreshes it and selects all remote database changes. |
| Rename | Allows you to enter a new name for the column. |
| Delete | Drops the selected object from the database. Shortcut: Delete |
| Refresh | Updates the object to reflect the latest changes. Shortcut: F5 |
| Properties | Opens the Properties pane to view the object information. Shortcut: F4 |
The following table describes the shortcut menu options, which appear when you right-click the Columns node in Database Explorer.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| New Column | Opens the Columns tab of Table Editor to add a column. |
| Source Control > Source Control Manager | Opens Source Control Manager, where you can track and manage changes to database schema and static data. When Source Control Manager is already open, this option refreshes it. |
| Source Control > Commit | Opens Source Control Manager with all local changes (if any) selected and ready to commit. When Source Control Manager is already open, this option refreshes it and selects all local database changes. |
| Source Control > Get Latest | Opens Source Control Manager with all remote changes (if any) selected, ready to pull using Get Latest. When Source Control Manager is already open, this option refreshes it and selects all remote database changes. |
| Filter | Opens the Filter Settings dialog to control which columns should appear in the table in Database Explorer. |
| Show Details | Opens Object Viewer that displays object details. |
| Refresh | Updates the object to reflect the latest changes. Shortcut: F5 |
Note
The Source Control shortcut menu is available only after you link the corresponding database to a source-control system.
In Database Explorer, hold down Ctrl and select multiple columns. Then right-click the selection and select the required option.
The following table describes the shortcut menu options available for multiple columns.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Source Control > Source Control Manager | Opens Source Control Manager, where you can track and manage changes to database schema and static data. When Source Control Manager is already open, this option refreshes it. |
| Source Control > Commit | Opens Source Control Manager with all local changes (if any) selected and ready to commit. When Source Control Manager is already open, this option refreshes it and selects all local database changes. |
| Source Control > Get Latest | Opens Source Control Manager with all remote changes (if any) selected, ready to pull using Get Latest. When Source Control Manager is already open, this option refreshes it and selects all remote database changes. |
| Source Control > Link/Unlink Static Data | Opens the Source Control Link Static Data dialog that displays the tables whose data you want to link. |
| Delete | Drops the selected columns from the database. Shortcut: Delete |