MySQL Cannot drop index needed in a foreign key constraint

I need to ALTER my existing database to add a column. Consequently I also want to update the UNIQUE field to encompass that new column. I'm trying to remove the current index but keep getting the error MySQL Cannot drop index needed in a foreign key constraint

CREATE TABLE mytable_a (
ID          TINYINT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
Name        VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
UNIQUE(Name)
) ENGINE=InnoDB;

CREATE TABLE mytable_b (
ID          TINYINT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
Name        VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
UNIQUE(Name)
) ENGINE=InnoDB;

CREATE TABLE mytable_c (
ID          TINYINT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
Name        VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
UNIQUE(Name)
) ENGINE=InnoDB;


CREATE TABLE `mytable` (
  `ID` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
  `AID` tinyint(5) NOT NULL,
  `BID` tinyint(5) NOT NULL,
  `CID` tinyint(5) NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (`ID`),
  UNIQUE KEY `AID` (`AID`,`BID`,`CID`),
  KEY `BID` (`BID`),
  KEY `CID` (`CID`),
  CONSTRAINT `mytable_ibfk_1` FOREIGN KEY (`AID`) REFERENCES `mytable_a` (`ID`) ON DELETE CASCADE,
  CONSTRAINT `mytable_ibfk_2` FOREIGN KEY (`BID`) REFERENCES `mytable_b` (`ID`) ON DELETE CASCADE,
  CONSTRAINT `mytable_ibfk_3` FOREIGN KEY (`CID`) REFERENCES `mytable_c` (`ID`) ON DELETE CASCADE
) ENGINE=InnoDB;




mysql> ALTER TABLE mytable DROP INDEX AID;
ERROR 1553 (HY000): Cannot drop index 'AID': needed in a foreign key constraint

You have to drop the foreign key. Foreign keys in MySQL automatically create an index on the table (There was a SO Question on the topic).

ALTER TABLE mytable DROP FOREIGN KEY mytable_ibfk_1 ; 

Step 1

List foreign key ( NOTE that its different from index name )

SHOW CREATE TABLE  <Table Name>

The result will show you the foreign key name.

Format:

CONSTRAINT `FOREIGN_KEY_NAME` FOREIGN KEY (`FOREIGN_KEY_COLUMN`) REFERENCES `FOREIGN_KEY_TABLE` (`id`),

Step 2

Drop (Foreign/primary/key) Key

ALTER TABLE <Table Name> DROP FOREIGN KEY <Foreign key name>

Step 3

Drop the index.

If you mean that you can do this:

CREATE TABLE mytable_d (
ID          TINYINT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
Name        VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
UNIQUE(Name)
) ENGINE=InnoDB;


ALTER TABLE mytable
ADD COLUMN DID tinyint(5) NOT NULL,
ADD CONSTRAINT mytable_ibfk_4 
      FOREIGN KEY (DID) 
        REFERENCES mytable_d (ID) ON DELETE CASCADE;

 > OK.

But then:

ALTER TABLE mytable
DROP KEY AID ;

gives error.

You can drop the index and create a new one in one ALTER TABLE statement:

ALTER TABLE mytable
DROP KEY AID ,
ADD UNIQUE KEY AID (AID, BID, CID, DID);