MySQL: How to drop all tables starting with a prefix?

Question

In my database there is a lot of tables starting with _elgg , now I want to drop all tables with this prefix. Can anyone give me a solution ?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

First do a

SELECT CONCAT('DROP TABLE ', TABLE_SCHEMA, '.', TABLE_NAME, ';') 
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES 
WHERE TABLE_NAME LIKE '\_elgg%' 
AND TABLE_SCHEMA = 'your_database_name';

and check if this returns the correct statements for every table. If you want to execute those statements, do

SELECT CONCAT('DROP TABLE ', TABLE_SCHEMA, '.', TABLE_NAME, ';') 
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES 
WHERE TABLE_NAME LIKE '\_elgg%' 
AND TABLE_SCHEMA = 'your_database_name' 
INTO OUTFILE '/tmp/whatever_filename';

SOURCE /tmp/whatever_filename;

Another way: On the command line, to do it in one rush, you can do

mysql -B databasename -uroot -prootpassword --disable-column-names  -e `mysql -B databasename -uroot -prootpassword --disable-column-names  -e "SELECT CONCAT('DROP TABLE ', TABLE_SCHEMA, '.', TABLE_NAME, ';') FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE TABLE_NAME LIKE '\_elgg%' AND TABLE_SCHEMA = 'your_database_name';"`

Answer 2

SELECT * FROM (
  SELECT CONCAT('DROP TABLE ', GROUP_CONCAT(table_name) , ';')
  FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
  WHERE table_name LIKE 'prefix_%'
) a INTO @mystmt;

PREPARE mystatement FROM @mystmt;
EXECUTE mystatement;

Answer 3

Use the following query:

-- Set up variable to delete ALL tables starting with 'temp_'
SET GROUP_CONCAT_MAX_LEN=10000;
SET @tbls = (SELECT GROUP_CONCAT(TABLE_NAME)
               FROM information_schema.TABLES
              WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = 'my_database'
                AND TABLE_NAME LIKE 'temp_%');
SET @delStmt = CONCAT('DROP TABLE ',  @tbls);
-- SELECT @delStmt;
PREPARE stmt FROM @delStmt;
EXECUTE stmt;
DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;

You need to change at TABLE_SCHEMA and TABLE_NAME appropriately.