Make column option token access consistent and explicit

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

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 package net.sf.jsqlparser.statement.create.table;
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -268,9 +269,10 @@ public ConstraintKind getConstraintKind() {
         }
     }
 
+    /** Creates an opaque option with its own copy of the supplied tokens, without parsing them. */
     public static ColumnOption raw(List<String> tokens) {
         ColumnOption option = new ColumnOption();
-        option.tokens = tokens;
+        option.setTokens(tokens);
         return option;
     }
 
@@ -295,33 +297,60 @@ public Kind getKind() {
         return kind;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns an unmodifiable, detached token snapshot for both raw and structured options. An
+     * unset raw option returns null; an explicitly empty raw option returns an empty snapshot. Use
+     * {@link #setTokens(List)} to edit an opaque option, or the typed setters and mutable child
+     * nodes to edit structured options. Later changes to the option do not change this snapshot.
+     */
     public List<String> getTokens() {
         switch (kind) {
             case DEFAULT:
-                return Arrays.asList("DEFAULT", String.valueOf(defaultExpression));
+                return Collections.unmodifiableList(
+                        Arrays.asList("DEFAULT", String.valueOf(defaultExpression)));
             case NULLABILITY:
-                return nullable ? Collections.singletonList("NULL") : Arrays.asList("NOT", "NULL");
+                return nullable ? Collections.singletonList("NULL")
+                        : Collections.unmodifiableList(Arrays.asList("NOT", "NULL"));
             case COLLATE:
-                return Arrays.asList("COLLATE", collation);
+                return Collections.unmodifiableList(Arrays.asList("COLLATE", collation));
             case COMMENT:
-                return Arrays.asList("COMMENT", comment.toString());
+                return Collections.unmodifiableList(Arrays.asList("COMMENT", comment.toString()));
             case ON_UPDATE:
-                return Arrays.asList("ON", "UPDATE", onUpdateExpression.toString());
+                return Collections.unmodifiableList(
+                        Arrays.asList("ON", "UPDATE", onUpdateExpression.toString()));
             case GENERATED:
                 return generatedDefinition.getTokens();
             case CONSTRAINT:
                 if ("PRIMARY KEY".equals(constraint.toString())) {
-                    return Arrays.asList("PRIMARY", "KEY");
+                    return Collections.unmodifiableList(Arrays.asList("PRIMARY", "KEY"));
                 }
                 return Collections.singletonList(toString());
             case OTHER:
             case SERIAL_DEFAULT_VALUE:
-                return tokens;
+                return tokens == null ? null
+                        : Collections.unmodifiableList(new ArrayList<>(tokens));
             default:
                 return Collections.singletonList(toString());
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Replaces the tokens of an opaque {@link Kind#OTHER} option with a copy of the supplied list.
+     * Null unsets the tokens; an empty list retains an explicitly empty option. Tokens are never
+     * parsed or classified. To replace a structured option, including SERIAL DEFAULT VALUE, with
+     * raw text, replace its node in {@link ColumnDefinition#getColumnOptions()} using
+     * {@link #raw(List)} instead.
+     *
+     * @throws IllegalStateException if this is a structured option
+     */
+    public void setTokens(List<String> tokens) {
+        if (kind != Kind.OTHER) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException(
+                    "Only opaque options accept tokens; use typed setters or replace the option");
+        }
+        this.tokens = tokens == null ? null : new ArrayList<>(tokens);
+    }
+
     public ForeignKeyReference getForeignKeyReference() {
         return foreignKeyReference;
     }

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

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 import java.io.Serializable;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
@@ -55,6 +56,10 @@ public void setStorage(Storage storage) {
         this.storage = storage;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns an unmodifiable token snapshot. Use the setters or edit {@link #getExpression()} to
+     * change the definition; later changes do not affect previously returned snapshots.
+     */
     public List<String> getTokens() {
         List<String> tokens = new ArrayList<>();
         if (generatedAlways) {
@@ -66,7 +71,7 @@ public List<String> getTokens() {
         if (storage != null) {
             tokens.add(storage.name());
         }
-        return tokens;
+        return Collections.unmodifiableList(tokens);
     }
 
     public StringBuilder appendTo(StringBuilder builder, Consumer<Expression> expressionPrinter) {

src/site/sphinx/usage.rst

@@ -683,6 +683,35 @@ setter receives null. Appending preserves the current nodes and accepts an
 immutable input list. An empty append preserves existing options and creates an
 empty option list when none was set.
 
+``ColumnOption.getTokens()`` and ``GeneratedColumnDefinition.getTokens()`` also
+return unmodifiable, detached snapshots. Reading tokens does not detach the
+underlying expressions or other child nodes: their setters and direct edits
+remain visible in SQL output, visitors and newly requested snapshots.
+
+For opaque ``Kind.OTHER`` options, copy the tokens, edit the copy, then call
+``setTokens``. The setter and both ``ColumnOption.raw`` factories copy their
+inputs; subsequent changes to the supplied list or array do not edit the AST.
+Null raw tokens remain unset and return null; an empty list returns an empty
+snapshot. Raw tokens are never parsed or classified.
+
+.. code-block:: java
+
+    ColumnOption raw = ColumnOption.raw("COLUMN_FORMAT", "DYNAMIC");
+    List<String> tokens = new ArrayList<>(raw.getTokens());
+    tokens.set(1, "FIXED");
+    raw.setTokens(tokens); // COLUMN_FORMAT FIXED
+
+Migration: raw token getter edits now throw ``UnsupportedOperationException``,
+as do edits to structured token snapshots that previously changed a discarded
+copy. ``setTokens`` only accepts opaque options; it throws
+``IllegalStateException`` for structured options, including SERIAL DEFAULT
+VALUE. Use typed setters for structured edits. To explicitly replace a
+structured option with raw text, replace its node in the column's option list:
+
+.. code-block:: java
+
+    column.getColumnOptions().set(0, ColumnOption.raw("DEFAULT", "8"));
+
 Inspect logical replication statements
 ======================================
 

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

@@ -54,10 +54,12 @@ void specificationSnapshotsAreReadOnlyForRawAndStructuredOptions(String sql)
         if (option.getKind() == ColumnOption.Kind.OTHER) {
             assertTrue(column.getColumnOptions().stream()
                     .allMatch(raw -> raw.getKind() == ColumnOption.Kind.OTHER));
-            List<String> rawTokens = column.getColumnOptions().stream()
-                    .map(ColumnOption::getTokens).filter(tokens -> tokens.contains("DYNAMIC"))
+            ColumnOption rawOption = column.getColumnOptions().stream()
+                    .filter(raw -> raw.getTokens().contains("DYNAMIC"))
                     .findFirst().orElseThrow();
+            List<String> rawTokens = new ArrayList<>(rawOption.getTokens());
             rawTokens.set(rawTokens.indexOf("DYNAMIC"), "FIXED");
+            rawOption.setTokens(rawTokens);
             assertEquals(List.of("COLUMN_FORMAT", "DYNAMIC"), snapshot);
             assertEquals(List.of("COLUMN_FORMAT", "FIXED"), column.getColumnSpecs());
         } else {