1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps for modifying a schema for a database, comprising: setting a deactivation flag of a first schema object to indicate that the first schema object is deactivated, the first schema object having a primary identifier, an internal identifier, and a first attribute; and creating a second schema object to supercede the first schema object, the second schema object having a primary identifier that is the same as the primary identifier, an internal identifier that is different from the internal identifier of the first schema object, a deactivation flag that is set to indicate that the second schema object is active, and a second attribute corresponding to the first attribute but defined differently from the first attribute.