PSQL command to drop table from a databae

[Shreerang Patwardhan]

Hey all,
I am trying the following command to drop a table from a postgresql
database. It gives an error. Can anyone please rectify the command if it is
wrong?

*Command:*
psql -h localhost -p 5433 -U postgres -d testdb -c DROP TABLE
11001_district_of_columbia_arealm

*Error Message:*
psql: warning: extra command-line argument "TABLE" ignored
psql: warning: extra command-line argument
"11001_district_of_columbia_arealm" ignored
ERROR: syntax error at end of input
LINE 1: DROP
^


Please help!
Thanx,
Shreerang Patwardhan.

[Maciej Sawicki]

Hi,
I think it should be:
psql -h localhost -p 5433 -U postgres -d testdb -c "DROP TABLE
11001_district_of_columbia_arealm"

regards,
Maciej Sawicki

[Shreerang Patwardhan]

Hello Maciej,
I have tried up the quotes as well...Still doesn't work....[?]

Do you think that 11001_district_of_columbia_arealm is an invalid table
name? Actually, a table with the said name can be created using psql command
as well as through pgadmin3. But then why does it give an error while
deleting this table? The error message reads as:

ERROR: syntax error at or near "11001"
LINE 1: DROP TABLE 11001_district_of_columbia_arealm
^

I am unable to guage what the problem is?...Please help me....

Thanx,
Shreerang Patwardhan.

[Olivier Courtin]

Post by Shreerang Patwardhan
Do you think that 11001_district_of_columbia_arealm is an invalid
table name?

Yes, label table name first char cannot be a number.

Post by Shreerang Patwardhan
Actually, a table with the said name can be created using psql command

Really ?

postgres=# CREATE TABLE 1a();
ERROR: syntax error at or near "1"

with psql (PostgreSQL) 8.3.7



P.S: These kind of question is more PostgreSQL than PostGIS relevant

--
Olivier

[Olivier Courtin]

Post by Olivier Courtin

Post by Shreerang Patwardhan
Actually, a table with the said name can be created using psql command

Really ?

Well in fact, my previous answer wasn't right at all

CREATE TABLE "1a" ();
and so
DROP TABLE "1a";

works both well...

So just need to double quote the label name

--
Olivier

[Shreerang Patwardhan]

Hi Ollvier,
I was just writing to you about your previous mail. Well, th e DROP TABLE
command is not working at my end. I have used double quotes also. Can you
guess what could the problem be? I am trying to use that command in a shell
script and it is not working. I have also tried it on the terminal and still
the result is the same....ERROR!!!.....[?]
Need help!!!

[Kevin Neufeld]

Since you are using a non-standard way of naming your table (starting
with number), as Oliver was explaining, you need to double quote your
table name.

$ set mytab=\"123foo\"

$ echo $mytab
"foo"

$ psql -c "CREATE TABLE $mytab( a int ) " postgis
CREATE TABLE

$ psql -c "\dt" postgis
List of relations
Schema | Name | Type | Owner
--------+------------------+-------+----------
public | 123foo | table | kneufeld
public | geometry_columns | table | kneufeld
public | spatial_ref_sys | table | kneufeld
(3 rows)

$ psql -c "DROP TABLE $mytab" postgis
DROP TABLE

-- Kevin

Post by Shreerang Patwardhan
Hi Ollvier,
I was just writing to you about your previous mail. Well, th e DROP
TABLE command is not working at my end. I have used double quotes
also. Can you guess what could the problem be? I am trying to use that
command in a shell script and it is not working. I have also tried it
on the terminal and still the result is the same....ERROR!!!.....
Need help!!!
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[Shreerang Patwardhan]

Hey Kevin,
Thanx a million tons.....My problem is solved...Thanx a lot.....!!!....