def _clean_up_columns(
            self):
        """clean up columns

        .. todo ::

            - update key arguments values and definitions with defaults
            - update return values and definitions
            - update usage examples and text
            - update docstring text
            - check sublime snippet exists
            - clip any useful text to docs mindmap
            - regenerate the docs and check redendering of this docstring
        """
        self.log.debug('starting the ``_clean_up_columns`` method')

        sqlQueries = [
            "update tcs_helper_catalogue_tables_info set old_table_name = table_name where old_table_name is null;",
            "update tcs_helper_catalogue_tables_info set version_number = 'stream' where table_name like '%%stream' and version_number is null;",
            """update tcs_helper_catalogue_tables_info set in_ned = 0 where table_name like '%%stream' and in_ned is null;""",
            """update tcs_helper_catalogue_tables_info set vizier_link = 0 where table_name like '%%stream' and vizier_link is null;""",
            "update tcs_helper_catalogue_views_info set old_view_name = view_name where old_view_name is null;",
        ]

        for sqlQuery in sqlQueries:
            writequery(
                log=self.log,
                sqlQuery=sqlQuery,
                dbConn=self.cataloguesDbConn,
            )

        # VIEW OBJECT TYPES
        sqlQuery = u"""
            SELECT view_name FROM tcs_helper_catalogue_views_info where legacy_view = 0 and object_type is null;
        """ % locals()
        rows = readquery(
            log=self.log,
            sqlQuery=sqlQuery,
            dbConn=self.cataloguesDbConn,
            quiet=False
        )

        for row in rows:
            view_name = row["view_name"]
            object_type = view_name.replace("tcs_view_", "").split("_")[0]

            sqlQuery = u"""
                update tcs_helper_catalogue_views_info set object_type = "%(object_type)s" where view_name = "%(view_name)s"
            """ % locals()
            writequery(
                log=self.log,
                sqlQuery=sqlQuery,
                dbConn=self.cataloguesDbConn,
            )

        # MASTER TABLE ID FOR VIEWS
        sqlQuery = u"""
            SELECT view_name FROM tcs_helper_catalogue_views_info where legacy_view = 0 and table_id is null;
        """ % locals()
        rows = readquery(
            log=self.log,
            sqlQuery=sqlQuery,
            dbConn=self.cataloguesDbConn,
            quiet=False
        )

        for row in rows:
            view_name = row["view_name"]
            table_name = view_name.replace("tcs_view_", "").split("_")[1:]
            table_name = ("_").join(table_name)
            table_name = "tcs_cat_%(table_name)s" % locals()

            sqlQuery = u"""
                update tcs_helper_catalogue_views_info set table_id = (select id from tcs_helper_catalogue_tables_info where table_name = "%(table_name)s") where view_name = "%(view_name)s"
            """ % locals()
            writequery(
                log=self.log,
                sqlQuery=sqlQuery,
                dbConn=self.cataloguesDbConn,
            )

        self.log.debug('completed the ``_clean_up_columns`` method')
        return None