<!--
doc/src/sgml/ref/drop_access_method.sgml
PostgreSQL documentation
-->

<refentry id="sql-drop-access-method">
 <indexterm zone="sql-drop-access-method">
  <primary>DROP ACCESS METHOD</primary>
 </indexterm>

 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle>DROP ACCESS METHOD</refentrytitle>
  <manvolnum>7</manvolnum>
  <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>

 <refnamediv>
  <refname>DROP ACCESS METHOD</refname>
  <refpurpose>remove an access method</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
DROP ACCESS METHOD [ IF EXISTS ] <replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable> [ CASCADE | RESTRICT ]
</synopsis>
 </refsynopsisdiv>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>

  <para>
   <command>DROP ACCESS METHOD</command> removes an existing access method.
   Only superusers can drop access methods.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Parameters</title>

  <variablelist>
   <varlistentry>
    <term><literal>IF EXISTS</literal></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Do not throw an error if the access method does not exist.
      A notice is issued in this case.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>

   <varlistentry>
    <term><replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      The name of an existing access method.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>

   <varlistentry>
    <term><literal>CASCADE</literal></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Automatically drop objects that depend on the access method
      (such as operator classes, operator families, and indexes),
      and in turn all objects that depend on those objects
      (see <xref linkend="ddl-depend"/>).
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>

   <varlistentry>
    <term><literal>RESTRICT</literal></term>
    <listitem>
     <para>
      Refuse to drop the access method if any objects depend on it.
      This is the default.
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>
  </variablelist>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Examples</title>

  <para>
   Drop the access method <literal>heptree</literal>:
<programlisting>
DROP ACCESS METHOD heptree;
</programlisting></para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>Compatibility</title>

  <para>
   <command>DROP ACCESS METHOD</command> is a
   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> extension.
  </para>
 </refsect1>

 <refsect1>
  <title>See Also</title>

  <simplelist type="inline">
   <member><xref linkend="sql-create-access-method"/></member>
  </simplelist>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>