Spark SQL Guide

DROP TABLE

Description

DROP TABLE deletes the table and removes the directory associated with the table from the file system if the table is not EXTERNAL table. If the table is not present it throws an exception.

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

Syntax

DROP TABLE [ IF EXISTS ] table_identifier

Parameter

IF EXISTS
If specified, no exception is thrown when the table does not exists.
table_identifier
Specifies the table name to be dropped. The table name may be optionally qualified with a database name.

Syntax: [ database_name. ] table_name

Example

-- Assumes a table named `employeetable` exists.
DROP TABLE employeetable;
+---------+--+
| Result  |
+---------+--+
+---------+--+

-- Assumes a table named `employeetable` exists in the `userdb` database
DROP TABLE userdb.employeetable;
+---------+--+
| Result  |
+---------+--+
+---------+--+

-- Assumes a table named `employeetable` does not exists.
-- Throws exception
DROP TABLE employeetable;
Error: org.apache.spark.sql.AnalysisException: Table or view not found: employeetable;
(state=,code=0)

-- Assumes a table named `employeetable` does not exists,Try with IF EXISTS
-- this time it will not throw exception
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS employeetable;
+---------+--+
| Result  |
+---------+--+
+---------+--+