<!-- doc/src/sggml/ref/drop_foreign_table.sgml -->

<refentry id="SQL-DROPFOREIGNTABLE">
 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle>DROP FOREIGN TABLE</refentrytitle>
  <manvolnum>7</manvolnum>
  <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>

 <refnamediv>
  <refname>DROP FOREIGN TABLE</refname>
  <refpurpose>remove a foreign table</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <indexterm zone="sql-dropforeigntable">
  <primary>DROP FOREIGN TABLE</primary>
 </indexterm>

 <refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
DROP FOREIGN TABLE [ IF EXISTS ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable> [, ...] [ CASCADE | RESTRICT ]
</synopsis>
 </refsynopsisdiv>
 
 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>

  <para>
   <command>DROP FOREIGN TABLE</command> removes a foreign table.
   Only the owner of a foreign table can remove it.
  </para>
 </refsect1>
  
 <refsect1>
  <title>Parameters</title>

  <variablelist>
   <varlistentry>
    <term><literal>IF EXISTS</literal></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Do not throw an error if the foreign 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 foreign table to drop.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>

   <varlistentry>
    <term><literal>CASCADE</literal></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Automatically drop objects that depend on the foreign table (such as
      views).
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>

   <varlistentry>
    <term><literal>RESTRICT</literal></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Refuse to drop the foreign table if any objects depend on it.  This is
      the default.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>
  </variablelist>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Examples</title>

  <para>
   To destroy two foreign tables, <literal>films</literal> and 
   <literal>distributors</literal>:

<programlisting>
DROP FOREIGN TABLE films, distributors;
</programlisting>
  </para>
 </refsect1>
 
 <refsect1>
  <title>Compatibility</title>

  <para>
   This command conforms to the ISO/IEC 9075-9 (SQL/MED), except that the
   standard only allows one foreign 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-alterforeigntable"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="sql-createforeigntable"></member>
  </simplelist>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>
