## Synopsis

Use the `DROP TABLE` statement to remove one or more tables (with all of their data) from the database.

## Syntax

{{%ebnf%}}
  drop_table
{{%/ebnf%}}

## Semantics

### *drop_table*

#### *if_exists*

Under normal operation, an error is raised if the table does not exist.  Adding `IF EXISTS` will quietly ignore any non-existent tables specified.

#### *table_name*

Specify the name of the table to be dropped. Objects associated with the table, such as prepared statements, will be eventually invalidated after the `DROP TABLE` statement is completed.

#### RESTRICT / CASCADE

`RESTRICT` is the default and it will not drop the table if any objects depend on it.

`CASCADE` will drop any objects that transitively depend on the table.

## Example

Do this:

```plpgsql
set client_min_messages = warning;
drop table if exists children, parents cascade;

create table parents(k int primary key, v text);

create table children(
  k int, parents_k int, v text,
  constraint children_pk primary key(k, parents_k),
  constraint children_fk foreign key(parents_k) references parents(k));
\d children
```
The `\d` meta-command output includes this information:

```
Foreign-key constraints:
    "children_fk" FOREIGN KEY (parents_k) REFERENCES parents(k)
```
Now do this:

```plpgsql
\set VERBOSITY verbose
drop table parents restrict;
```

It causes this error:

```
2BP01: cannot drop table parents because other objects depend on it
```

with this detail:

```
constraint children_fk on table children depends on table parents
```

Now do this:

```plpgsql
drop table parents cascade;
\d children
```

The 'DROP' now succeeds and the `\d` meta-command shows that the table _"children"_ still exists but that it now as no foreign key constraint to the now-dropped "_parents"_ table.

## See also

- [`CREATE TABLE`](../ddl_create_table)
- [`INSERT`](../dml_insert)
- [`SELECT`](../dml_select/)