Syntax options:

    METADATA CHANGES ARE ENABLED | METADATA CHANGES ARE DISABLED
    Specifies whether or not data definition changes are allowed
    to the database. This attribute becomes effective at the
    next database attach and affects all ALTER, CREATE, and DROP
    statements (except ALTER DATABASE, which is needed for database
    tuning) and the GRANT, REVOKE, TRUNCATE TABLE, COMMENT ON and
    RENAME statements. For example:

    SQL> CREATE DATABASE FILENAME sample
    cont> METADATA CHANGES ARE DISABLED;
    SQL> CREATE TABLE t (a INTEGER);
    SQL> DISCONNECT ALL;
    SQL> ATTACH 'FILENAME sample';
    SQL> CREATE TABLE s (b INTEGER);
    %RDB-E-NO_META_UPDATE, metadata update failed
    -RDMS-E-NOMETADATA, metadata operations are disabled

    The METADATA CHANGES ARE DISABLED clause prevents data definition
    changes to the database. If you specify this clause in the
    CREATE DATABASE statement, system index compression is implicitly
    enabled.

    The METADATA CHANGES ARE ENABLED clause allows data definition
    changes to the database by users granted the DBADMIN privilege.

    METADATA CHANGES ARE ENABLED is the default.