<!--
$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/drop_user.sgml,v 1.15 2002/02/27 21:14:54 petere Exp $
PostgreSQL documentation
-->

<refentry id="SQL-DROPUSER">
 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle id="SQL-DROPUSER-TITLE">DROP USER</refentrytitle>
  <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>
 <refnamediv>
  <refname>DROP USER</refname>
  <refpurpose>remove a database user account</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
DROP USER <replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable>
</synopsis>
 </refsynopsisdiv>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>

  <para>
   <command>DROP USER</command> removes the specified user from the database.
   It does not remove tables, views, or other objects owned by the user. If the
   user owns any database, an error is raised.
  </para>

  <refsect2>
   <title>Parameters</title>

   <para>
    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	The name of an existing user.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
   </para>
  </refsect2>

 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Diagnostics</title>

  <para>
   <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
     <term><computeroutput>DROP USER</computeroutput></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       The message returned if the user is successfully deleted.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
     <term><computeroutput>ERROR:  DROP USER: user "<replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable>" does not exist</computeroutput></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       This message occurs if the user name is not found.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
     <term><computeroutput>DROP USER: user "<replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable>" owns database "<replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable>", cannot be removed</computeroutput></term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       You must drop the database first or change its ownership.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

   </variablelist>
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Notes</title>

  <para>
   Use <xref linkend="SQL-CREATEUSER" endterm="SQL-CREATEUSER-title">
   to add new users, and <xref linkend="SQL-ALTERUSER"
   endterm="SQL-ALTERUSER-title"> to change a user's attributes.
   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> includes a program <xref
   linkend="APP-DROPUSER" endterm="APP-DROPUSER-title"> that has the
   same functionality as this command (in fact, it calls this command)
   but can be run from the command shell.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Examples</title>

  <para>
   To drop a user account:
<programlisting>
DROP USER jonathan;
</programlisting>
  </para>
 </refsect1>
 
 <refsect1>
  <title>Compatibility</title>
  
  <para>
   The <command>DROP USER</command> statement is a
   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> extension.  The SQL standard
   leaves the definition of users to the implementation.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>See Also</title>

  <simplelist type="inline">
   <member><xref linkend="sql-createuser" endterm="sql-createuser-title"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="sql-alteruser" endterm="sql-alteruser-title"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="app-dropuser"></member>
  </simplelist>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>

<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
Local variables:
mode: sgml
sgml-omittag:nil
sgml-shorttag:t
sgml-minimize-attributes:nil
sgml-always-quote-attributes:t
sgml-indent-step:1
sgml-indent-data:t
sgml-parent-document:nil
sgml-default-dtd-file:"../reference.ced"
sgml-exposed-tags:nil
sgml-local-catalogs:"/usr/lib/sgml/catalog"
sgml-local-ecat-files:nil
End:
-->
