How to drop all tables from a database with one SQL query?

Question

I don\'t want to type all tables\' name to drop all of them. Is it possible with one query?

Answer 1

If you don't want to type, you can create the statements with this:

USE Databasename

SELECT  'DROP TABLE [' + name + '];'
FROM    sys.tables

Then copy and paste into a new SSMS window to run it.

Answer 2

For me I just do

DECLARE @cnt INT = 0;

WHILE @cnt < 10 --Change this if all tables are not dropped with one run
BEGIN
SET @cnt = @cnt + 1;
EXEC sp_MSforeachtable @command1 = "DROP TABLE ?"
END

Answer 3

As a follow-up to Dave.Gugg's answer, this would be the code someone would need to get all the DROP TABLE lines in MySQL:

SELECT CONCAT('DROP TABLE ', TABLE_NAME, ';')
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.tables
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = 'your_database_name'

Answer 4

Use the following script to drop all constraints:

DECLARE @sql NVARCHAR(max)=''

SELECT @sql += ' ALTER TABLE ' + QUOTENAME(TABLE_SCHEMA) + '.'+ QUOTENAME(TABLE_NAME) +    ' NOCHECK CONSTRAINT all; '
FROM   INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE  TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE'

Exec Sp_executesql @sql

Then run the following to drop all tables:

select @sql='';

SELECT @sql += ' Drop table ' + QUOTENAME(TABLE_SCHEMA) + '.'+ QUOTENAME(TABLE_NAME) + '; '
FROM   INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE  TABLE_TYPE = 'BASE TABLE'

Exec Sp_executesql @sql

This worked for me in Azure SQL Database where 'sp_msforeachtable' was not available!

Answer 5

The simplest way is to drop the whole database and create it once again:

drop database db_name
create database db_name

That's all.

Answer 6

I'd just make a small change to @NoDisplayName's answer and use QUOTENAME() on the TABLE_NAME column and also include the TABLE_SCHEMA column encase the tables aren't in the dbo schema.

DECLARE @sql nvarchar(max) = '';

SELECT @sql += 'DROP TABLE ' + QUOTENAME([TABLE_SCHEMA]) + '.' + QUOTENAME([TABLE_NAME]) + ';'
FROM [INFORMATION_SCHEMA].[TABLES]
WHERE [TABLE_TYPE] = 'BASE TABLE';

EXEC SP_EXECUTESQL @sql;

Or using sys schema views (as per @swasheck's comment):

DECLARE @sql nvarchar(max) = '';

SELECT @sql += 'DROP TABLE ' + QUOTENAME([S].[name]) + '.' + QUOTENAME([T].[name]) + ';'
FROM [sys].[tables] AS [T]
INNER JOIN [sys].[schemas] AS [S] ON ([T].[schema_id] = [S].[schema_id])
WHERE [T].[type] = 'U' AND [T].[is_ms_shipped] = 0;

EXEC SP_EXECUTESQL @sql;