SQL Alter Table syntax error

Question

--Rev19
ALTER TABLE `staff` MODIFY `role` enum('admin', 'employee', 'guest'); 
ALTER TABLE `staff` ALTER `role` SET DEFAULT 'guest';

It says:

#1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your                 
MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '--Rev19
ALTER TABLE `staff` MODIFY `role` enum('admin', 'employee', 'guest')' at line 1

Whats wrong here? On a side note, why does SQL error reporting have to be so bad, most languages tell you the specific syntax error where SQL just says, check the manual.

It's not "SQL error reporting" that's bad, it's MySQL's error reporting that is "bad". Other DBMS are much clearer with their syntax error messages. — user330315
– user330315, Commented Jul 15, 2013 at 16:44

Flo Doe · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-15 16:50:53Z

1

From the manual:

From a “-- ” sequence to the end of the line. In MySQL, the “-- ” (double-dash) comment style requires the second dash to be followed by at least one whitespace or control character (such as a space, tab, newline, and so on).

So just add a whitespace after -- and you will be fine.

answered Jul 15, 2013 at 16:50

Flo Doe

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Andre Backlund · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-15 16:42:55Z

0

You need a whitespace after the dashes when using double dash comments.

answered Jul 15, 2013 at 16:42

Andre Backlund

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