Delete (Tables Menu)

The delete function removes a table from the database schema and the disk file. The table can not be recovered. All indices and triggers associated with the table are also deleted.

The delete function supports the selection of multiple tables.

The table deletion does not reduce the size of the database file in the default mode. Empty space in the database is retained for later INSERT statements. To remove free space in the database, use the Vacuum function of the Tools Menu. If auto_vacuum mode is enabled for a database then space will be freed automatically by delete function.

If foreign key constraints are enabled, a DROP TABLE command performs an implicit DELETE FROM <tbl> command before removing the table from the database schema. Any triggers attached to the table are dropped from the database schema before the implicit DELETE FROM <tbl> is executed, so this cannot cause any triggers to fire. By contrast, an implicit DELETE FROM <tbl> does cause any configured foreign key actions to take place. If the implicit DELETE FROM <tbl> executed as part of a DROP TABLE command violates any immediate foreign key constraints, an error is returned and the table is not dropped. If the implicit DELETE FROM <tbl> causes any deferred foreign key constraints to be violated, and the violations still exist when the transaction is committed, an error is returned at the time of commit.