Drop a table

This Astra DB Serverless feature is currently in public preview. Development is ongoing, and the features and functionality are subject to change. Astra DB Serverless, and the use of such, is subject to the DataStax Preview Terms.

The Data API tables commands are available through HTTP and the clients.

If you use a client, tables commands are available only in client versions 2.0-preview or later. For more information, see Data API client upgrade guide.

Deletes a table from a database, including all data stored in the table.

Method signature

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

The following method belongs to the astrapy.Database class.

drop_table(
  name: str,
  *,
  keyspace: str,
  if_exists: bool,
  table_admin_timeout_ms: int,
  request_timeout_ms: int,
  timeout_ms: int,
) -> None

The following method belongs to the Db class.

async dropTable(
  name: string,
  options?: {
    ifExists?: boolean,
    keyspace?: string,
    timeout?: number | TimeoutDescriptor,
  }
): void

The following methods belong to the com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database class.

void dropTable(String tableName)

void dropTable(
  String tableName,
  DropTableOptions dropTableOptions
)

curl -sS -L -X POST "ASTRA_DB_API_ENDPOINT/api/json/v1/ASTRA_DB_KEYSPACE" \
--header "Token: ASTRA_DB_APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
  "dropTable": {
      "name": "TABLE_NAME"
  }
}'

Result

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

Deletes the specified table from the database, including all data stored in the table.

Does not return anything.

Deletes the specified table from the database, including all data stored in the table.

Returns a promise that resolves once the operation completes.

Deletes the specified table from the database, including all data stored in the table.

Does not return anything.

Deletes the specified table from the database, including all data stored in the table.

If the command succeeds, the response indicates the success.

Example response:

{
  "status": {
    "ok": 1
  }
}

Parameters

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`name_or_table`	`str \| Table`	Either the name of a table or a `Table` instance.
`if_exists`	`bool`	If `True`, and the specified table doesn’t exist in the keyspace, then the command succeeds and silently does nothing. In this case, no actual table deletion occurs. If `False` (default), an error occurs if a table with the specified name does not exist in the keyspace.
`table_admin_timeout_ms`	`int`	A timeout, in milliseconds, for the underlying schema-changing HTTP request. If not provided, the `Database` defaults apply. This parameter is aliased as `request_timeout_ms` and `timeout_ms` for convenience.

name_or_table

str | Table

Either the name of a table or a Table instance.

if_exists

bool

If True, and the specified table doesn’t exist in the keyspace, then the command succeeds and silently does nothing. In this case, no actual table deletion occurs.

If False (default), an error occurs if a table with the specified name does not exist in the keyspace.

table_admin_timeout_ms

int

A timeout, in milliseconds, for the underlying schema-changing HTTP request. If not provided, the Database defaults apply. This parameter is aliased as request_timeout_ms and timeout_ms for convenience.

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`name`	`string`	The name of the table to drop, if dropping through a `Db` instance.
`option?`	`DropTableOptions`	The options for this operation

name

string

The name of the table to drop, if dropping through a Db instance.

option?

DropTableOptions

The options for this operation

Options (DropTableOptions):

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`ifExists?`	`boolean`	If `true`, and the specified table doesn’t exist in the keyspace, then the command succeeds and silently does nothing. In this case, no actual table deletion occurs. If `false` (default), an error occurs if a table with the specified name does not exist in the keyspace.
`keyspace?`	`string`	If dropping through a `Db` instance, specify the keyspace containing the table that you want to drop. If unspecified, the database’s working keyspace is used.
`timeout?`	`number \| TimeoutDescriptor`	The client-side timeout for this operation.

ifExists?

boolean

If true, and the specified table doesn’t exist in the keyspace, then the command succeeds and silently does nothing. In this case, no actual table deletion occurs.

If false (default), an error occurs if a table with the specified name does not exist in the keyspace.

keyspace?

string

If dropping through a Db instance, specify the keyspace containing the table that you want to drop. If unspecified, the database’s working keyspace is used.

timeout?

number | TimeoutDescriptor

The client-side timeout for this operation.

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`name`	`str`	The name of the table to drop, if dropping through a `database` instance.
`options`	`DropTableOptions`	Specialization of the operation: `ifExists()`: If `true`, and the specified table doesn’t exist in the keyspace, then the command succeeds and silently does nothing. In this case, no actual table deletion occurs. If `false` (default), an error occurs if a table with the specified name does not exist in the keyspace. `keyspace()` If dropping through a `database` instance, specify the keyspace containing the table that you want to drop. If unspecified, the database’s working keyspace is used. `timeout`: The client-side timeout for this operation.

name

str

The name of the table to drop, if dropping through a database instance.

options

DropTableOptions

Specialization of the operation:

ifExists(): If true, and the specified table doesn’t exist in the keyspace, then the command succeeds and silently does nothing. In this case, no actual table deletion occurs.

If false (default), an error occurs if a table with the specified name does not exist in the keyspace.
keyspace() If dropping through a database instance, specify the keyspace containing the table that you want to drop. If unspecified, the database’s working keyspace is used.
timeout: The client-side timeout for this operation.

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`dropTable`	`command`	The Data API command to delete a table in a Serverless (Vector) database. It acts as a container for all the attributes and settings required to delete the table.
`name`	`string`	The name of the table to delete.

dropTable

command

The Data API command to delete a table in a Serverless (Vector) database. It acts as a container for all the attributes and settings required to delete the table.

name

string

The name of the table to delete.

Examples

The following examples demonstrate how to drop a table.

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

Drop a table by name:

database.drop_table("fighters")

Drop a table through a Table object:

my_table.drop()

Drop a table passing a Table to a Database:

database.drop_table(my_table)

Example:

database.list_table_names()
# ['fighters', 'games']
database.drop_table("fighters")
database.list_table_names()
# ['games']
# not erroring because of if_exists:
database.drop_table("fighters", if_exists=True)

Drop a table by name in the database’s working keyspace:

await db.dropTable('TABLE_NAME');

Drop a table by name in a specific keyspace:

await db.dropTable('TABLE_NAME', { keyspace: 'KEYSPACE' });

Drop a table through a Table object:

await table.drop();

Example:

import { CreateTableDefinition, DataAPIClient, SomeRow } from '@datastax/astra-db-ts';

// Instantiate the client and connect to the database
const client = new DataAPIClient();
const db = client.db(process.env.CLIENT_DB_URL!, { token: process.env.CLIENT_DB_TOKEN! });

// Create table schema using bespoke Data API table definition syntax.
// For information about table definition and data types, see the documentation for createTable.
const TableDefinition = <const>{
  columns: {
    matchId: 'text'
    round: 'tinyint',
    mVector: { type: 'vector', dimension: 3 },
    score: 'int',
    when: 'timestamp',
    winner: 'text',
    fighters: { type: 'set', valueType: 'uuid' },
  },
  primaryKey: {
    partitionBy: ['matchId'],
    partitionSort: { round: 1 },
  },
} satisfies CreateTableDefinition;

(async function () {
  // Create an untyped table or error if a 'games' table already exists.
  const table = await db.createTable<SomeRow>('games', { definition: TableDefinition });

  // Drop a table from a database's working keyspace without checking if the table exists.
  // If there is no match, the command succeeds but does nothing.
  // If there is a match, the named table is deleted.
  await db.dropTable(table.name);

  // Use a Table object to run dropTable without checking if the table exists.
  await table.drop();

  // Use a Table object to drop a table only if the table exists.
  // Errors if there is no match.
  await table.drop({ ifExists: true });

})();

Drop a table by name in the database’s working keyspace:

database.dropTable("fighters");

Drop a table through a Table object:

myTable.drop();

Drop a table through a database instance with options:

DropTableOptions options = new DropTableOptions()
 .ifExists(false)
 .timeout(ofSeconds(5));
database.dropTable("games", options);

Example:

package com.datastax.astra.client.database;

import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClients;
import com.datastax.astra.client.core.auth.EmbeddingAPIKeyHeaderProvider;
import com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.Game;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.Table;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.TableOptions;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.commands.options.CreateTableOptions;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.commands.options.DropTableOptions;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.definition.TableDefinition;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.definition.columns.ColumnDefinitionVector;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.definition.columns.ColumnTypes;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.definition.rows.Row;

import static com.datastax.astra.client.core.query.Sort.ascending;
import static com.datastax.astra.client.core.vector.SimilarityMetric.COSINE;
import static java.time.Duration.ofSeconds;

public class DropTable {

 public static void main(String[] args) {
  // Database astraDb = new DataAPIClient(token).getDatabase(endpoint);
  Database db = DataAPIClients.localDbWithDefaultKeyspace();

  // Drop without options
  db.dropTable("games");

  // Adding a timestamp
  DropTableOptions options = new DropTableOptions()
   .ifExists(false)
   .timeout(ofSeconds(5));
  db.dropTable("games", options);
 }
}

curl -sS -L -X POST "ASTRA_DB_API_ENDPOINT/api/json/v1/ASTRA_DB_KEYSPACE" \
--header "Token: ASTRA_DB_APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
  "dropTable": {
      "name": "TABLE_NAME"
  }
}'

Example:

curl -sS -L -X POST "ASTRA_DB_API_ENDPOINT/api/json/v1/default_keyspace" \
--header "Token: ASTRA_DB_APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
  "dropTable": {
    "name": "students"
  }
}'

Client reference

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

For more information, see the client reference.

Client reference documentation is not applicable for HTTP.

Drop a table

Method signature

Result

Parameters

Examples

Client reference

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