DROP TABLE

Applies to: check marked yes Databricks SQL Databricks Runtime

Deletes the table and removes the directory associated with the table from the file system if the table is not EXTERNAL table. An exception is thrown if the table does not exist.

In case of an external table, only the associated metadata information is removed from the metastore schema.

Any foreign key constraints referencing the table are also dropped.

If the table is cached, the command uncaches the table and all its dependents.

Syntax

DROP TABLE [ IF EXISTS ] table_name

Parameter

IF EXISTS

If specified, no TABLE_OR_VIEW_NOT_FOUND error is thrown when the table does not exist.
table_name

The name of the table to be created. The name must not include a temporal specification. If the table cannot be found Databricks raises a TABLE_OR_VIEW_NOT_FOUND error.

Examples

-- Assumes a table named `employeetable` exists.
> DROP TABLE employeetable;

-- Assumes a table named `employeetable` exists in the `userdb` schema
> DROP TABLE userdb.employeetable;

-- Assumes a table named `employeetable` does not exist.
-- Throws TABLE_OR_VIEW_NOT_FOUND
> DROP TABLE employeetable;
  [TABLE_OR_VIEW_NOT_FOUND]

-- Assumes a table named `employeetable` does not exist,Try with IF EXISTS
-- this time it will not throw exception
> DROP TABLE IF EXISTS employeetable;