Magento module setup - change product attribute to not required

Question

How do you change an eav attribute properties during the installation of a module.

Specifically, i want to change a product attribute from being to required to not required.

I am currently merging the updated product attributes in the getDefaultEntities call in my modules setup but its giving wierd results.

For example:

public function getDefaultEntities()
    {        
        return array(
            'catalog_product' => array(
                'entity_attribute_collection' => 'catalog/product_attribute_collection',        
                'attribute_model' => 'catalog/resource_eav_attribute',
                'table' => 'catalog/product',
                'entity_model' => 'catalog/product',
                'additional_attribute_table' => 'catalog/eav_attribute',
                'attributes' => array(
                    'short_description' => array('required'=> false)
                )
            )
        );

    }

Results in the short_description field loosing its Frontend Label

Answer 1

/* @var $installer Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Setup */
$installer->updateAttribute('catalog_product','short_description','is_required',0);