> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kinetica.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # alter_table_columns
alter\_table\_columns(table\_name=None, column\_alterations=None, options=None)\[source]

Apply various modifications to columns in a table, view. The available modifications include the following:

Create or delete an index on a particular column. This can speed up certain operations when using expressions containing equality or relational operators on indexed columns. This only applies to tables.

Manage a table’s columns–a column can be added, removed, or have its type and properties modified, including whether it is dictionary encoded or not.

Parameters

table\_name (str) –

Table on which the operation will be performed. Must be an existing table or view, in \[schema\_name.]table\_name format, using standard name resolution rules.

column\_alterations (list of dicts of str to str) –

List of alter table add/delete/change column requests - all for the same table. Each request is a map that includes ‘column\_name’, ‘action’ and the options specific for the action. Note that the same options as in alter table requests but in the same map as the column name and the action. For example: \[{"{"}‘column\_name’:’col\_1’,’action’:’change\_column’,’rename\_column’:’col\_2’{"}"},{"{"}‘column\_name’:’col\_1’,’action’:’add\_column’, ‘type’:’int’,’default\_value’:’1’{"}"}]. The user can provide a single element (which will be automatically promoted to a list internally) or a list.

options (dict of str to str) –

Optional parameters.

Returns

A dict with the following entries–

table\_name (str) –

Table on which the operation was performed.

type\_id (str) –

Return the type\_id (when changing a table, a new type may be created).

type\_definition (str) –

Return the type\_definition (when changing a table, a new type may be created).

properties (dict of str to lists of str) –

Return the type properties (when changing a table, a new type may be created).

label (str) –

Return the type label (when changing a table, a new type may be created).

column\_alterations (list of dicts of str to str) –

List of alter table add/delete/change column requests - all for the same table. Each request is a map that includes ‘column\_name’, ‘action’ and the options specific for the action. Note that the same options as in alter table requests but in the same map as the column name and the action. For example: \[{"{"}‘column\_name’:’col\_1’,’action’:’change\_column’,’rename\_column’:’col\_2’{"}"},{"{"}‘column\_name’:’col\_1’,’action’:’add\_column’, ‘type’:’int’,’default\_value’:’1’{"}"}].

info (dict of str to str) –

Additional information.