<REFENTRY ID="SQL-DROPTABLE">
 <REFMETA>
  <REFENTRYTITLE>
   DROP TABLE
  </REFENTRYTITLE>
  <REFMISCINFO>SQL - Language Statements</REFMISCINFO>
 </REFMETA>
 <REFNAMEDIV>
  <REFNAME>
   DROP TABLE
  </REFNAME>
  <REFPURPOSE>
   Removes existing tables from a database
  </REFPURPOSE>
  
 <REFSYNOPSISDIV>
  <REFSYNOPSISDIVINFO>
   <DATE>1998-09-22</DATE>
  </REFSYNOPSISDIVINFO>
  <SYNOPSIS>
DROP TABLE <REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">table</REPLACEABLE> [, ...]
  </SYNOPSIS>
  
  <REFSECT2 ID="R2-SQL-DROPTABLE-1">
   <REFSECT2INFO>
    <DATE>1998-09-22</DATE>
   </REFSECT2INFO>
   <TITLE>
    Inputs
   </TITLE>
   <PARA>
   </PARA>
       <VARIABLELIST>
	<VARLISTENTRY>
	 <TERM>
	  <ReturnValue><REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">table</REPLACEABLE></ReturnValue>
	 </TERM>
	 <LISTITEM>
	  <PARA>
	   The name of an existing table or view to drop.
	  </PARA>
	 </LISTITEM>
	</VARLISTENTRY>
       </variablelist>
  </REFSECT2>
  
  <REFSECT2 ID="R2-SQL-DROPTABLE-2">
   <REFSECT2INFO>
    <DATE>1998-09-22</DATE>
   </REFSECT2INFO>
   <TITLE>
    Outputs
   </TITLE>
   <PARA>
   </PARA>
   <VARIABLELIST>
    <VARLISTENTRY>
     <TERM>
<replaceable>status</replaceable>
     </TERM>
     <LISTITEM>
      <PARA>
       <VARIABLELIST>
	<VARLISTENTRY>
	 <TERM>
	  <ReturnValue>DROP</ReturnValue>
	 </TERM>
	 <LISTITEM>
	  <PARA>
	   The message returned if the command completes successfully.
	  </PARA>
	 </LISTITEM>
	</VARLISTENTRY>
	<VARLISTENTRY>
	 <TERM>
	  <ReturnValue> ERROR Relation "<replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable>" Does Not Exist!</ReturnValue>
	 </TERM>
	 <LISTITEM>
	  <PARA>
	   If the specified table or view does not exist in the database.
	  </PARA>
	 </LISTITEM>
	</VARLISTENTRY>
       </variablelist>
     </LISTITEM>
    </VARLISTENTRY>
   </VARIABLELIST>
  </REFSECT2>
 </REFSYNOPSISDIV>
 
 <REFSECT1 ID="R1-SQL-DROPTABLE-1">
  <REFSECT1INFO>
   <DATE>1998-09-22</DATE>
  </REFSECT1INFO>
  <TITLE>
   Description
  </TITLE>
  <PARA>
<command>DROP TABLE</command> removes tables and views from the database.
   Only its owner may destroy a table or view. A table
   may be emptied of rows, but not destroyed, by using <command>DELETE</command>.
  </PARA>
  <PARA>
   If a table being destroyed has secondary indexes on it,
   they will be removed first. The removal of just a
   secondary index will not affect the contents of the underlying table.
  </PARA>
  
  <REFSECT2 ID="R2-SQL-DROPTABLE-3">
   <REFSECT2INFO>
    <DATE>1998-09-22</DATE>
   </REFSECT2INFO>
   <TITLE>
    Notes
   </TITLE>
   <PARA>
    Refer to <command>CREATE TABLE</command> and
    <command>ALTER TABLE</command> for information on
    how to create or modify tables.
   </PARA>
  </REFSECT2>
 </refsect1>
 
 <REFSECT1 ID="R1-SQL-DROPTABLE-2">
  <TITLE>
   Usage
  </TITLE>
  <PARA>
   To destroy the <literal>films</literal> and 
   <command>distributors</command> tables:
  </PARA>
  <ProgramListing>
DROP TABLE films, distributors
  </ProgramListing>
 </REFSECT1>
 
 <REFSECT1 ID="R1-SQL-DROPTABLE-3">
   <TITLE>
   Compatibility
  </TITLE>
  <PARA>
   </PARA>
  
  <REFSECT2 ID="R2-SQL-DROPTABLE-4">
   <REFSECT2INFO>
    <DATE>1998-09-22</DATE>
   </REFSECT2INFO>
   <TITLE>
    SQL92
   </TITLE>
   <PARA>
    SQL92 specifies some additional capabilities for DROP TABLE:
   </PARA>
   <synopsis>
DROP TABLE <replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable> { RESTRICT | CASCADE }
   </synopsis>
   <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
     <term>RESTRICT</term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       Ensures that only a table with no dependent views or
       integrity constraints can be destroyed.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    <varlistentry>
     <term>CASCADE</term>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       Any referencing views or integrity constraints
       will also be dropped.
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
   </variablelist>
    <tip>
    <para>
     At present, to remove a referenced view you must drop
     it explicitly.
    </para>
   </tip>
   </refsect2>
 </refsect1>
</REFENTRY>

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