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   2 $PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/drop_table.sgml,v 1.21 2003/11/29 19:51:38 pgsql Exp $
   3 PostgreSQL documentation
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   5
   6 <refentry id="SQL-DROPTABLE">
   7  <refmeta>
   8   <refentrytitle id="SQL-DROPTABLE-TITLE">DROP TABLE</refentrytitle>
   9   <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
  10  </refmeta>
  11
  12  <refnamediv>
  13   <refname>DROP TABLE</refname>
  14   <refpurpose>remove a table</refpurpose>
  15  </refnamediv>
  16
  17  <indexterm zone="sql-droptable">
  18   <primary>DROP TABLE</primary>
  19  </indexterm>
  20
  21  <refsynopsisdiv>
  22 <synopsis>
  23 DROP TABLE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable> [, ...] [ CASCADE | RESTRICT ]
  24 </synopsis>
  25  </refsynopsisdiv>
  26
  27  <refsect1>
  28   <title>Description</title>
  29
  30   <para>
  31    <command>DROP TABLE</command> removes tables from the database.
  32    Only its owner may destroy a table.  To empty a table of rows,
  33    without destroying the table, use <command>DELETE</command>.
  34   </para>
  35
  36   <para>
  37    <command>DROP TABLE</command> always removes any indexes, rules,
  38    triggers, and constraints that exist for the target table.
  39    However, to drop a table that is referenced by a foreign-key
  40    constraint of another table, <literal>CASCADE</> must be
  41    specified. (<literal>CASCADE</> will remove the foreign-key
  42    constraint, not the other table entirely.)
  43   </para>
  44  </refsect1>
  45
  46  <refsect1>
  47   <title>Parameters</title>
  48
  49   <variablelist>
  50    <varlistentry>
  51     <term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable></term>
  52     <listitem>
  53      <para>
  54       The name (optionally schema-qualified) of the table to drop.
  55      </para>
  56     </listitem>
  57    </varlistentry>
  58
  59    <varlistentry>
  60     <term><literal>CASCADE</literal></term>
  61     <listitem>
  62      <para>
  63       Automatically drop objects that depend on the table (such as
  64       views).
  65      </para>
  66     </listitem>
  67    </varlistentry>
  68
  69    <varlistentry>
  70     <term><literal>RESTRICT</literal></term>
  71     <listitem>
  72      <para>
  73       Refuse to drop the table if any objects depend on it.  This is
  74       the default.
  75      </para>
  76     </listitem>
  77    </varlistentry>
  78   </variablelist>
  79  </refsect1>
  80
  81  <refsect1>
  82   <title>Examples</title>
  83
  84   <para>
  85    To destroy two tables, <literal>films</literal> and
  86    <literal>distributors</literal>:
  87
  88 <programlisting>
  89 DROP TABLE films, distributors;
  90 </programlisting>
  91   </para>
  92  </refsect1>
  93
  94  <refsect1>
  95   <title>Compatibility</title>
  96
  97   <para>
  98    This command conforms to the SQL standard.
  99   </para>
 100  </refsect1>
 101
 102  <refsect1>
 103   <title>See Also</title>
 104
 105   <simplelist type="inline">
 106    <member><xref linkend="sql-altertable" endterm="sql-altertable-title"></member>
 107    <member><xref linkend="sql-createtable" endterm="sql-createtable-title"></member>
 108   </simplelist>
 109  </refsect1>
 110
 111 </refentry>
 112
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