{"id":144,"date":"2022-02-11T12:48:03","date_gmt":"2022-02-11T12:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openquery.com\/?p=144"},"modified":"2022-02-28T13:57:42","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T13:57:42","slug":"how-to-delete-a-table-in-sql","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openquery.com\/how-to-delete-a-table-in-sql\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Delete A Table In SQL"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SQL (Structured Query Language) is a fantastic tool for building databases and maintaining data integrity, but this nifty programming language is just as handy when it comes to the destructive side of data management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data, especially large amounts of it, is rarely a static entity. As the world changes, data changes, and some of it becomes redundant. Dealing with this defunct data efficiently is a key concern in database maintenance, and SQL makes it a total breeze, but how is it done?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s explore how we can use SQL to drop<\/a> our database deadweight efficiently, with minimum effort!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"How<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What You Need To Know Before Deleting A Table<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll get to the deletion process in just a sec, but before we Marie Kondo the heck out of your database, there are some things you need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreign Key Restrictions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, a Foreign Key is a database key utilized to link two tables within the database together to help identify and highlight relational data between them. Now, I know what you\u2019re thinking\u2026 What does this have to do with my database table demolition derby?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, typically, when a Foreign Key Constraint is in place, you cannot delete or \u201cDrop\u201d one of the referenced tables. So, before you give your table the boot, you\u2019ll need to Drop the Foreign Key Constraint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you plan on Dropping the referencing table and <\/em>the table holding the primary Foreign Key simultaneously in the same Drop statement, you\u2019ll need to list the referencing table before the key-holder table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Triggers And Associations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you delete a table, any triggers or associations it shares with other tables will be deactivated and severed, so if you plan on replacing it with a new table, you won\u2019t be able to maintain all the pre-established relational programming. It will have to be done from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep It Simple<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You cannot Drop and Create a table in the same SQL<\/a> statement, so delete first, then focus on rebuilding after the fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Permanence Of Loss<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a big one! Always remember that once you delete a table using SQL<\/a>, you cannot get it or the data it holds back. Once it\u2019s gone, it\u2019s gone for good! There is no undo function, so you have to be sure you\u2019re ready to part ways with the problem table before pulling the trigger, so to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Persistence Of References<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If your database stores references to the table you\u2019re about to whack, Tony Soprano style, they will have to be deleted or modified separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permission Problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SQL servers tend to offer custom levels of user access that will be determined by the manager of your operation. In light of this, you may need certain permissions in order to Drop a table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DDL Giveth, and DDL Taketh Away<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so to get rid of all that stagnant data that\u2019s just taking up space and bites on your computer system, we\u2019re actually going to be using DDL (Data Definition Language), which is a subset of SQL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it\u2019s called a language, DDL essentially just piggybacks on SQL\u2019s syntactical architecture, so it\u2019s not strictly a discrete computer language, but it\u2019s powerful nonetheless. In the world of databases, DDL is divine \u2014 it can create, and it can destroy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you were responsible for the development of the database and table(s) in question, then you\u2019ll already be well acquainted with DDL, as it\u2019s the tool you\u2019ll have used to assemble the database objects in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it doesn\u2019t really matter if you\u2019re only hearing of DDL for the first time right now, as the deletion process is one of the most straightforward commands in the entirety of SQL \u2014 hooray!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keyword For Deleting A Table<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019d think that the keyword for deleting a table would be \u201cDelete\u201d, right? Well, you know these tech companies like to play it fast and loose with their verbiage, so it was never going to be as simple as that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nope, the keyword you\u2019re looking for isn\u2019t \u201cDelete\u201d, but \u201cDrop\u201d. That\u2019s right, folks\u2026 the word \u201cDrop\u201d in SQL and DDL refers to the deletion of tables and data. So, when you\u2019re trying to get rid of something, the syntax of your statement will always begin with \u201cDrop\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DDL Drop Statement Syntax<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After \u201cDrop\u201d, you\u2019ll need to choose the database object that you want to trash. Today, it\u2019s a table, so, at this juncture, the Drop statement should look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n