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From: Chao Li <li.evan.chao@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2026 13:59:28 +0800
Message-ID: <CAEoWx2=mYhCfsnHaN96Qqwq5b0GVS2YgO3zpVqPPRd_iO52wRw@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: docs: clarify ALTER TABLE behavior on partitioned tables
To: Postgres hackers <pgsql-hackers@lists.postgresql.org>
Cc: Amit Kapila <amit.kapila16@gmail.com>
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Hi Hackers,

This task is derived from [1], as =E2=80=9CALTER TABLE=E2=80=9D is consider=
ed to exhibit
=E2=80=9Cinconsistent=E2=80=9D behaviors with partitioned tables. From the =
current
documentation of =E2=80=9CALTER TABLE=E2=80=9D, readers won=E2=80=99t get e=
nough information to
form a clear understanding of how these commands behave with partitioned
tables, and this gap needs to be addressed.

I have spent several days verifying sub-commands of =E2=80=9CALTER TABLE=E2=
=80=9D one by
one against partitioned tables from the following points:

1) Does an action on a parent partitioned table propagate to child
partitions?
2) Does a value set on a parent partitioned table get automatically
inherited by newly created partitions?
3) Does =E2=80=9CONLY partitioned-table=E2=80=9D work as the documentation =
states
(preventing propagation)?
4) Can an action be performed on a partitioned table and its children
independently?