<literal>ADD</literal> is assumed
      if no operation is explicitly specified.  Duplicate option names are not
      allowed (although it's OK for a table option and a column option to have
      the same name).  Option names and values are also validated using the
      foreign data wrapper library.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>

   <varlistentry>
    <term><literal>RENAME</literal></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      The <literal>RENAME</literal> forms change the name of a foreign table
      or the name of an individual column in a foreign table.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>

   <varlistentry>
    <term><literal>SET SCHEMA</literal></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      This form moves the foreign table into another schema.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>

  </variablelist>
  </para>

  <para>
   All the actions except <literal>RENAME</literal> and <literal>SET SCHEMA</literal>
   can be combined into
   a list of multiple alterations to apply in parallel.  For example, it
   is possible to add several columns and/or alter the type of several
   columns in a single command.
  </para>

  <para>
   If the command is written as <literal>ALTER FOREIGN TABLE IF EXISTS ...</literal>
   and the foreign table does not exist, no error is thrown. A notice is
   issued in this case.
  </para>

  <para>
   You must own the table to use <command>ALTER FOREIGN TABLE</command>.
   To change the schema of a foreign table, you must also have
   <literal>CREATE</literal> privilege on the new schema.
   To alter the owner, you must be able to <literal>SET ROLE</literal> to the
   new owning role, and that role must have <literal>CREATE</literal> privilege
   on the table's schema.  (These restrictions enforce that altering the owner
   doesn't do anything you couldn't do by dropping and recreating the table.
   However, a superuser can alter ownership of any table anyway.)
   To add a column or alter a column type, you must also
   have <literal>USAGE</literal> privilege on the data type.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Parameters</title>

    <variablelist>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        The name (possibly schema-qualified) of an existing foreign table to
        alter. If <literal>ONLY</literal> is specified before the table name, only
        that table is altered. If <literal>ONLY</literal> is not specified, the table
        and all its descendant tables (if any) are altered.  Optionally,
        <literal>*</literal> can be specified after the table name to explicitly
        indicate that descendant tables are included.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">column_name</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Name of a new or existing column.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">new_column_name</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        New name for an existing column.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">new_name</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        New name for the table.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">data_type</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Data type of the new column, or new data type for an existing
        column.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">table_constraint</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        New table constraint for the foreign table.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">constraint_name</replaceable></term>