Sybase 12.4.2 User Manual

Working with tables

 

Dropping a database deletes all tables and data from disk, including the 
transaction log that records alterations to the database. It also drops all of the 
dbspaces associated with the database.

To drop a database, use the following statement:

DROP DATABASE 

dbname

You must specify the database name and its pathname exactly as they were 
specified when the database was created.

For example, on a Windows NT system:

DROP DATABASE ’c:\sybase\data\mydb.db’

The database must be stopped before you can drop it. If the connection 
parameter 

AUTOSTOP=no

 is used, you may need to issue a 

STOP DATABASE

 

statement.

When you create a database, the only tables in it are the system tables, which 
hold the database schema.

This section describes how to create, alter, and delete tables from a database. 
The examples can be executed in DBISQL, but the SQL statements are 
independent of the administration tool you are using.

You may want to create command files containing the 

CREATE TABLE 

and 

ALTER TABLE 

statements that define the tables in your database. The command 

files allow you to re-create the database when necessary. They also let you 
create tables in a standardized way, which you can copy and revise.

Creating tables in 
Sybase Central

Sybase Central provides a tool called the table editor. In the table editor, you 
can create a table definition by filling out a spreadsheet-like form.

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1

Connect to the database.