how to update a field schema

Question

I am trying to add a field (middle name) into the field_schema of the contrib addressfield module (I initially didn't want to hack it, but was unsucessful in adding a field in from my custom module.). The module has the following hook_field_schema()

function addressfield_field_schema() {
  $columns = array(
    'country' => array(
      'description' => 'Two letter ISO country code of this address.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 2,
      'not null' => FALSE,
      'default' => '',
    ),
    'administrative_area' => array(
      'description' => 'The administrative area of this address. (i.e. State/Province)',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'default' => '',
      'not null' => FALSE,
    ),
    'sub_administrative_area' => array(
      'description' => 'The sub administrative area of this address.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'default' => '',
      'not null' => FALSE,
    ),
    'locality' => array(
      'description' => 'The locality of this address. (i.e. City)',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'default' => '',
      'not null' => FALSE,
    ),
    'dependent_locality' => array(
      'description' => 'The dependent locality of this address.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'default' => '',
      'not null' => FALSE,
    ),
    'postal_code' => array(
      'description' => 'The postal code of this address.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'default' => '',
      'not null' => FALSE,
    ),
    'thoroughfare' => array(
      'description' => 'The thoroughfare of this address. (i.e. Street address)',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'default' => '',
      'not null' => FALSE,
    ),
    'premise' => array(
      'description' => 'The premise of this address. (i.e. Apartment / Suite number)',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'default' => '',
      'not null' => FALSE,
    ),
    'sub_premise' => array(
      'description' => 'The sub_premise of this address.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'default' => '',
      'not null' => FALSE,
    ),
    'organisation_name' => array(
      'description' => 'Contents of a primary OrganisationName element in the xNL XML.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'not null' => FALSE,
      'default' => '',
    ),
    'name_line' => array(
      'description' => 'Contents of a primary NameLine element in the xNL XML.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'not null' => FALSE,
      'default' => '',
    ),
    'first_name' => array(
      'description' => 'Contents of the FirstName element of a primary PersonName element in the xNL XML.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'not null' => FALSE,
      'default' => '',
    ),
    'last_name' => array(
      'description' => 'Contents of the LastName element of a primary PersonName element in the xNL XML.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'not null' => FALSE,
      'default' => '',
    ),
    'last_name' => array(
      'description' => 'Contents of the LastName element of a primary PersonName element in the xNL XML.',
      'type' => 'varchar',
      'length' => 255,
      'not null' => FALSE,
      'default' => '',
    ),
    'data' => array(
      'description' => 'Additional data for this address.',
      'type' => 'text',
      'size' => 'big',
      'not null' => FALSE,
      'serialize' => TRUE,
    ),
  );

  return array(
    'columns' => $columns,
    // TODO Add indexes.
  );
}

I found this post online for doing a field_schema update https://drupal.org/node/150215, but I don't know what the field name or table name is, its not listed in the file. How can I do this? My ultimate goal is to make a standalone plugin file to be used by addressfield, but I needed to update the schema first.

Answer 1

The field will be named whatever you named it when you added it. If you can't remember, go to the "Manage fields" UI page for the relevant entity type/bundle and you'll be able to find it there.

The table names will be based on that field name; if the field is called field_my_field then the two database tables are:

• field_data_field_my_field
• field_revision_field_my_field