Fix editable key columns after clearing legacy names

src/main/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/statement/create/table/KeyColumnSource.java

@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 package net.sf.jsqlparser.statement.create.table;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
@@ -29,9 +28,12 @@ default List<String> getColumnsNames() {
                         .map(KeyElement::toString).collect(Collectors.toList());
     }
 
-    /** Replaces keys with opaque names, without parsing or retaining expression options. */
+    /**
+     * Replaces keys with opaque names, without parsing or retaining expression options. A null or
+     * empty list clears the keys and leaves the structured list editable.
+     */
     default void setColumnsNames(List<String> names) {
-        setColumns(names == null ? Collections.emptyList()
+        setColumns(names == null ? new ArrayList<>()
                 : names.stream()
                         .map(KeyElement::new).collect(Collectors.toList()));
     }

src/test/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/statement/create/KeyColumnSourceMutationTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/*-
+ * #%L
+ * JSQLParser library
+ * %%
+ * Copyright (C) 2004 - 2026 JSQLParser
+ * %%
+ * Dual licensed under GNU LGPL 2.1 or Apache License 2.0
+ * #L%
+ */
+package net.sf.jsqlparser.statement.create;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
+
+import java.util.List;
+import net.sf.jsqlparser.parser.CCJSqlParserUtil;
+import net.sf.jsqlparser.statement.create.table.*;
+import net.sf.jsqlparser.util.deparser.StatementDeParser;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
+
+class KeyColumnSourceMutationTest {
+    @ParameterizedTest
+    @ValueSource(strings = {"INDEX ix (id DESC)", "PRIMARY KEY (id)", "UNIQUE (id DESC)",
+            "FOREIGN KEY (id) REFERENCES parent (id)", "EXCLUDE USING btree (id WITH =)"})
+    void clearedNamesCanBeRepopulatedThroughBothAppendApisAndTheLiveList(String declaration)
+            throws Exception {
+        for (boolean nullClear : new boolean[] {true, false}) {
+            for (boolean collectionAppend : new boolean[] {false, true}) {
+                CreateTable table = (CreateTable) CCJSqlParserUtil.parse(
+                        "CREATE TABLE t (id INT, " + declaration + ")");
+                KeyColumnSource key = (KeyColumnSource) table.getTableElements().get(1);
+                KeyElement element = key.getColumns().get(0);
+                String expected = table.toString();
+
+                key.setColumnsNames(nullClear ? null : List.of());
+                assertNotNull(key.getColumns());
+                assertTrue(key.getColumns().isEmpty());
+                assertTrue(key.getColumnsNames().isEmpty());
+                append(key, element, collectionAppend);
+                assertSame(element, key.getColumns().get(0));
+                assertSql(table, expected);
+
+                // Clearing and editing through the shared structured API must also work.
+                key.setColumnsNames(null);
+                key.getColumns().add(element);
+                assertSql(table, expected);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void append(KeyColumnSource key, KeyElement element, boolean collection) {
+        if (key instanceof Index) {
+            if (collection) {
+                ((Index) key).addColumns(List.of(element));
+            } else {
+                ((Index) key).addColumns(element);
+            }
+        } else if (key instanceof KeyConstraint) {
+            if (collection) {
+                ((KeyConstraint) key).addColumns(List.of(element));
+            } else {
+                ((KeyConstraint) key).addColumns(element);
+            }
+        } else if (key instanceof ForeignKeyConstraint) {
+            if (collection) {
+                ((ForeignKeyConstraint) key).addColumns(List.of(element));
+            } else {
+                ((ForeignKeyConstraint) key).addColumns(element);
+            }
+        } else if (key instanceof ExcludeConstraint) {
+            if (collection) {
+                ((ExcludeConstraint) key).addColumns(List.of(element));
+            } else {
+                ((ExcludeConstraint) key).addColumns(element);
+            }
+        } else {
+            fail("Unexpected key owner: " + key.getClass());
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void assertSql(CreateTable table, String expected) throws Exception {
+        assertEquals(expected, table.toString());
+        StringBuilder output = new StringBuilder();
+        table.accept(new StatementDeParser(output), null);
+        assertEquals(expected, output.toString());
+        assertEquals(expected, CCJSqlParserUtil.parse(output.toString()).toString());
+    }
+}