How to drop all tables from a database with one SQ

Question

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

Answer 1

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;

Answer 2

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 3

If anybody else had a problem with best answer's solution (including disabling foreign keys), here is another solution from me:

-- CLEAN DB
use [DB_NAME]
EXEC sp_MSForEachTable 'ALTER TABLE ? NOCHECK CONSTRAINT ALL'
EXEC sp_MSForEachTable 'DELETE FROM ?'
DECLARE @Sql NVARCHAR(500) DECLARE @Cursor CURSOR
SET @Cursor = CURSOR FAST_FORWARD FOR
SELECT DISTINCT sql = 'ALTER TABLE [' + tc2.TABLE_NAME + '] DROP [' + rc1.CONSTRAINT_NAME + ']'
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.REFERENTIAL_CONSTRAINTS rc1
LEFT JOIN INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLE_CONSTRAINTS tc2 ON tc2.CONSTRAINT_NAME =rc1.CONSTRAINT_NAME
OPEN @Cursor FETCH NEXT FROM @Cursor INTO @Sql
WHILE (@@FETCH_STATUS = 0)
BEGIN
Exec SP_EXECUTESQL @Sql
FETCH NEXT FROM @Cursor INTO @Sql
END
CLOSE @Cursor DEALLOCATE @Cursor
GO
EXEC sp_MSForEachTable 'DROP TABLE ?'
GO
EXEC sp_MSForEachTable 'ALTER TABLE ? WITH CHECK CHECK CONSTRAINT ALL'

Answer 4

Use the INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES view to get the list of tables. Generate Drop scripts in the select statement and drop it using Dynamic SQL:

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

Sys.Tables Version

DECLARE @sql NVARCHAR(max)=''

SELECT @sql += ' Drop table ' + QUOTENAME(s.NAME) + '.' + QUOTENAME(t.NAME) + '; '
FROM   sys.tables t
       JOIN sys.schemas s
         ON t.[schema_id] = s.[schema_id]
WHERE  t.type = 'U'

Exec sp_executesql @sql

Note: If you have any foreign Keys defined between tables then first run the below query to disable all foreign keys present in your database.

EXEC sp_msforeachtable "ALTER TABLE ? NOCHECK CONSTRAINT all"

For more information, check here.

Answer 5

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 6

I Know this question is very old but every Time i need this code .. by the way if you have tables and views and Functions and PROCEDURES you can delete it all by this Script .. so why i post this Script ?? because if u delete all tables you will need to delete all views and if you have Functions and PROCEDURES you need to delete it too
i Hope it will help someone

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


 DECLARE @sql VARCHAR(MAX) = ''
    , @crlf VARCHAR(2) = CHAR(13) + CHAR(10) ;

 SELECT @sql = @sql + 'DROP VIEW ' + QUOTENAME(SCHEMA_NAME(schema_id)) + '.' + 
 QUOTENAME(v.name) +';' + @crlf
 FROM   sys.views v

 PRINT @sql;
 EXEC(@sql);

 declare @procName varchar(500)
 declare cur cursor 

 for select [name] from sys.objects where type = 'p'
 open cur
 fetch next from cur into @procName
 while @@fetch_status = 0
 begin
  exec('drop procedure [' + @procName + ']')
fetch next from cur into @procName
 end
  close cur
  deallocate cur

  Declare @sql NVARCHAR(MAX) = N'';

    SELECT @sql = @sql + N' DROP FUNCTION ' 
               + QUOTENAME(SCHEMA_NAME(schema_id)) 
               + N'.' + QUOTENAME(name)
    FROM sys.objects
  WHERE type_desc LIKE '%FUNCTION%';

   Exec sp_executesql @sql
  GO