T-SQL - Drop Tables

The SQL Server DROP TABLE statement is used to remove a table definition and all data, indexes, triggers, constraints, and permission specifications for that table.

Note − You have to be careful while using this command because once a table is deleted then all the information available in the table would also be lost forever.

Syntax

Following is the basic syntax of DROP TABLE statement −

DROP TABLE table_name;

Example

Let us first verify CUSTOMERS table and then we will delete it from the database −

Exec sp_columns CUSTOMERS;

The above command shows the following table.

TABLE_QUALIFIER   TABLE_OWNER   TABLE_NAME   COLUMN_NAME   DATA_TYPE   TYPE_NAME
   PRECISION   LENGTH SCALE   RADIX   NULLABLE   REMARKS   COLUMN_DEF   SQL_DATA_TYPE 
   SQL_DATETIME_SUB   CHAR_OCTET_LENGTH   ORDINAL_POSITION   IS_NULLABLE   SS_DATA_TYPE
   
TestDB    dbo    CUSTOMERS   ID        4   int        10   4    0      10     0
   NULL   NULL   4   NULL    NULL      1   NO         56 
   
TestDB    dbo    CUSTOMERS   NAME      12  varchar    20   20   NULL   NULL   0
   NULL   NULL   12   NULL   20        2   NO         39
  
TestDB    dbo    CUSTOMERS   AGE       4   int        10   4    0      10     0
   NULL   NULL   4   NULL    NULL      3   NO         56 
 
TestDB    dbo    CUSTOMERS   ADDRESS   1   char       25   25   NULL   NULL   1
   NULL   NULL   1   NULL    25        4   YES        39  

TestDB    dbo    CUSTOMERS   SALARY   3   decimal     18   20   2      10     1
   NULL   NULL   3   NULL    NULL     5   YES         106 

CUSTOMERS table is available in the database, so let us drop it. Following is the command for the same.

DROP TABLE CUSTOMERS; 
Command(s) completed successfully.

With the above command, you will not get any rows.

Exec sp_columns CUSTOMERS; 
No rows\data will be displayed