This example shows how ALTER CONSTRAINT can be used to change the constraint attributes and add a comment to a constraint. SQL> set dialect 'sql99'; SQL> attach 'file db$:mf_personnel'; SQL> SQL> create table PERSON cont> (last_name char(20) cont> constraint MUST_HAVE_LAST_NAME cont> not null cont> deferrable, cont> first_name char(20), cont> birthday date cont> constraint MUST_BE_IN_PAST cont> check (birthday < current_date) cont> not deferrable, cont> constraint ALL_UNIQUE cont> unique (last_name, first_name, birthday) cont> deferrable initially immediate cont> ); SQL> SQL> show table (constraint) PERSON Information for table PERSON Table constraints for PERSON: ALL_UNIQUE Unique constraint Null values are considered distinct Table constraint for PERSON Evaluated on each VERB Source: UNIQUE (last_name, first_name, birthday) MUST_BE_IN_PAST Check constraint Column constraint for PERSON.BIRTHDAY Evaluated on UPDATE, NOT DEFERRABLE Source: CHECK (birthday < current_date) MUST_HAVE_LAST_NAME Not Null constraint Column constraint for PERSON.LAST_NAME Evaluated on COMMIT Source: PERSON.LAST_NAME NOT null Constraints referencing table PERSON: No constraints found SQL> SQL> alter constraint ALL_UNIQUE cont> deferrable initially deferred; SQL> SQL> alter constraint MUST_HAVE_LAST_NAME cont> comment is 'We must assume all persons have a name' cont> not deferrable; SQL> SQL> alter constraint MUST_BE_IN_PAST cont> deferrable initially immediate; SQL> SQL> show table (constraint) PERSON Information for table PERSON Table constraints for PERSON: ALL_UNIQUE Unique constraint Null values are considered distinct Table constraint for PERSON Evaluated on COMMIT Source: UNIQUE (last_name, first_name, birthday) MUST_BE_IN_PAST Check constraint Column constraint for PERSON.BIRTHDAY Evaluated on each VERB Source: CHECK (birthday < current_date) MUST_HAVE_LAST_NAME Not Null constraint Column constraint for PERSON.LAST_NAME Evaluated on UPDATE, NOT DEFERRABLE Comment: We must assume all persons have a name Source: PERSON.LAST_NAME NOT null Constraints referencing table PERSON: No constraints found SQL> SQL> commit;