Rename Tables in SQL

Rename Tables in SQL

Introduction: Renaming tables is a common operation performed in database management systems to give a more meaningful or updated name to a table. This documentation provides an overview of how to rename tables in different database systems, along with code examples and explanations.

Table of Contents:

1. Renaming Tables in SQL Server
   1. Syntax
   2. Example
2. Renaming Tables in MySQL
   1. Syntax
   2. Example
3. Renaming Tables in PostgreSQL
   1. Syntax
   2. Example

1. Renaming Tables in SQL Server:

Syntax:

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sp_rename 'old_table_name', 'new_table_name';

Example: Let's say we have a table named "employees" in the SQL Server database, and we want to rename it to "staff". The following code demonstrates how to accomplish this:

sql
EXEC sp_rename 'employees', 'staff';

Explanation: The sp_rename system stored procedure is used in SQL Server to rename objects, including tables. It takes two parameters: the current name of the table (old_table_name) and the new desired name of the table (new_table_name). In the example above, the employees table is renamed to staff using the sp_rename procedure.

2. Renaming Tables in MySQL:

Syntax:

sql
ALTER TABLE old_table_name RENAME new_table_name;

Example: Suppose we have a table named "users" in a MySQL database, and we want to rename it to "customers". Here's an example of how to achieve this:

sql
ALTER TABLE users RENAME customers;

Explanation: In MySQL, the ALTER TABLE statement is used to modify table structures. To rename a table, the RENAME keyword is used after the ALTER TABLE clause. In the given example, the users table is renamed to customers using the RENAME keyword.

3. Renaming Tables in PostgreSQL:

Syntax:

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ALTER TABLE old_table_name RENAME TO new_table_name;

Example: Consider a scenario where we have a table named "products" in a PostgreSQL database, and we wish to rename it to "items". The following code demonstrates the table renaming process:

sql
ALTER TABLE products RENAME TO items;

Explanation: In PostgreSQL, the ALTER TABLE statement is used to modify table structures, including renaming tables. To rename a table, the RENAME TO clause is used after the ALTER TABLE statement. In the example above, the products table is renamed to items using the RENAME TO clause.

Conclusion: Renaming tables is a crucial task in database management, and the methods vary slightly between different database systems. This documentation provided examples and explanations for renaming tables in SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, helping users understand the syntax and process for each system.