Please don't put alterations to the database structure into update.php. In
fact, please don't use update.php at all. I don't know why it exists, and
would advocate deleting it.
Database alterations should be in clean, separable text files containing
runnable, human-readable SQL statements. They should be called
"patch-XXX.sql" where XXX is a descriptive word. They should go in
maintenance/archives. patch-list.txt there should include a description of
the problem it solves and instructions on what it's all about.
If update.php is to be saved, it needs to be rewritten to not make a mess
of things and use only these clean, legible, standalone files.
-- brion vibber (brion @
pobox.com)