79ba540b78
parentheses in syntax descriptions. Consistently use the present tense when describing the basic purpose of each "DROP" command. Add a few more hyperlinks.
128 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
128 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
<!--
|
|
$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/drop_table.sgml,v 1.27 2007/05/15 19:13:55 neilc Exp $
|
|
PostgreSQL documentation
|
|
-->
|
|
|
|
<refentry id="SQL-DROPTABLE">
|
|
<refmeta>
|
|
<refentrytitle id="SQL-DROPTABLE-TITLE">DROP TABLE</refentrytitle>
|
|
<refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
|
|
</refmeta>
|
|
|
|
<refnamediv>
|
|
<refname>DROP TABLE</refname>
|
|
<refpurpose>remove a table</refpurpose>
|
|
</refnamediv>
|
|
|
|
<indexterm zone="sql-droptable">
|
|
<primary>DROP TABLE</primary>
|
|
</indexterm>
|
|
|
|
<refsynopsisdiv>
|
|
<synopsis>
|
|
DROP TABLE [ IF EXISTS ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable> [, ...] [ CASCADE | RESTRICT ]
|
|
</synopsis>
|
|
</refsynopsisdiv>
|
|
|
|
<refsect1>
|
|
<title>Description</title>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
<command>DROP TABLE</command> removes tables from the database.
|
|
Only its owner can drop a table. To empty a table of rows
|
|
without destroying the table, use <xref linkend="sql-delete"
|
|
endterm="sql-delete-title"> or <xref linkend="sql-truncate"
|
|
endterm="sql-truncate-title">.
|
|
</para>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
<command>DROP TABLE</command> always removes any indexes, rules,
|
|
triggers, and constraints that exist for the target table.
|
|
However, to drop a table that is referenced by a view or a foreign-key
|
|
constraint of another table, <literal>CASCADE</> must be
|
|
specified. (<literal>CASCADE</> will remove a dependent view entirely,
|
|
but in the foreign-key case it will only remove the foreign-key
|
|
constraint, not the other table entirely.)
|
|
</para>
|
|
</refsect1>
|
|
|
|
<refsect1>
|
|
<title>Parameters</title>
|
|
|
|
<variablelist>
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
<term><literal>IF EXISTS</literal></term>
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
<para>
|
|
Do not throw an error if the table does not exist. A notice is issued
|
|
in this case.
|
|
</para>
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
<term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable></term>
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
<para>
|
|
The name (optionally schema-qualified) of the table to drop.
|
|
</para>
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
<term><literal>CASCADE</literal></term>
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
<para>
|
|
Automatically drop objects that depend on the table (such as
|
|
views).
|
|
</para>
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
|
|
|
<varlistentry>
|
|
<term><literal>RESTRICT</literal></term>
|
|
<listitem>
|
|
<para>
|
|
Refuse to drop the table if any objects depend on it. This is
|
|
the default.
|
|
</para>
|
|
</listitem>
|
|
</varlistentry>
|
|
</variablelist>
|
|
</refsect1>
|
|
|
|
<refsect1>
|
|
<title>Examples</title>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
To destroy two tables, <literal>films</literal> and
|
|
<literal>distributors</literal>:
|
|
|
|
<programlisting>
|
|
DROP TABLE films, distributors;
|
|
</programlisting>
|
|
</para>
|
|
</refsect1>
|
|
|
|
<refsect1>
|
|
<title>Compatibility</title>
|
|
|
|
<para>
|
|
This command conforms to the SQL standard, except that the standard only
|
|
allows one table to be dropped per command, and apart from the
|
|
<literal>IF EXISTS</> option, which is a <productname>PostgreSQL</>
|
|
extension.
|
|
</para>
|
|
</refsect1>
|
|
|
|
<refsect1>
|
|
<title>See Also</title>
|
|
|
|
<simplelist type="inline">
|
|
<member><xref linkend="sql-altertable" endterm="sql-altertable-title"></member>
|
|
<member><xref linkend="sql-createtable" endterm="sql-createtable-title"></member>
|
|
</simplelist>
|
|
</refsect1>
|
|
|
|
</refentry>
|