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PostgreSQL documentation
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<refentry id="SQL-DROPDATABASE">
 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle id="SQL-DROPDATABASE-TITLE">DROP DATABASE</refentrytitle>
  <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>

 <refnamediv>
  <refname>DROP DATABASE</refname>
  <refpurpose>remove a database</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <indexterm zone="sql-dropdatabase">
  <primary>DROP DATABASE</primary>
 </indexterm>

 <refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
DROP DATABASE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable>
</synopsis>
 </refsynopsisdiv>
 
 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>

  <para>
   <command>DROP DATABASE</command> drops a database. It removes the
   catalog entries for the database and deletes the directory
   containing the data.  It can only be executed by the database owner.
  </para>

  <para>
   <command>DROP DATABASE</command> cannot be undone.  Use it with care!
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Parameters</title>

  <variablelist>
   <varlistentry>
    <term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      The name of the database to remove.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>
  </variablelist>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Diagnostics</title>

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><computeroutput>DROP DATABASE</computeroutput></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        This message is returned if the command was successful.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><computeroutput>DROP DATABASE: cannot be executed on the currently open database</computeroutput></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        You cannot be connected to the database you are about to remove.
        Instead, connect to <literal>template1</literal> or any other
        database and run this command again.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><computeroutput>DROP DATABASE: may not be called in a transaction block</computeroutput></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        You must finish the transaction in progress before you can call this command.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Notes</title>

  <para>
   This command cannot be executed while connected to the target
   database. Thus, it might be more convenient to use the program
   <xref linkend="app-dropdb" endterm="app-dropdb-title"> instead,
   which is a wrapper around this command.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Compatibility</title>

  <para>
   The is no <command>DROP DATABASE</command> statement in the SQL standard.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

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

  <simplelist type="inline">
   <member><xref linkend="sql-createdatabase" endterm="sql-createdatabase-title"></member>
  </simplelist>
 </refsect1>
</refentry>

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