Last updated Nov 17, 2024

The DROP command in SQL is used to remove objects from the database. It’s a powerful command that can permanently delete tables, databases, views, or indexes. For the time being, we’re just interested in using it to remove tables.

1

DROP TABLE tableName; -- Where tableName is the name of the table you want to drop

The DROP command is typically used during database cleanup, restructuring, or when you need to remove test tables or obsolete database objects. It’s part of the standard housekeeping tasks a database engineer or administrator might perform.

A few important things to keep in mind when using DROP:

• Irreversible: The DROP command is irreversible, meaning once you execute it, you can’t undo the operation or recover the dropped data unless you have a backup.
• Use with Caution: Given its permanent nature, it should be used with caution. Always ensure you have a backup or are absolutely certain you no longer need the data you’re removing.
• Permissions: You need appropriate permissions to execute a DROP command on database objects. You have these permission on your databases but in the real world you may not.

• SQL - W3 Table JOINs - Introduction
• SQL - W3 Table JOINs - DROP Tables
• Next: SQL - W3 Magic Store Database Overview
• SQL - W3 Table JOINs - One-to-Many Relationships
• SQL - W3 Table JOINs - JOIN Tables with One-to-Many Relationships
• SQL - W3 Table JOINs - Filter and Sort with JOINs
• SQL - W3 One-to-Many JOINs - Practice Assignment