DROP ACCESS_METHOD statement

Use the DROP ACCESS_METHOD statement to remove a previously defined primary or secondary access method from the database.

This statement is an extension to the ANSI/ISO standard for SQL.

Syntax


Element	Description	Restrictions	Syntax
access_method	Name of access method to drop	Must be registered in sysams system catalog table; cannot be a built-in access method	Identifier
owner	Owner of the access method	Must own the access method	Owner name

Usage

The RESTRICT keyword is required. You cannot drop an access method if virtual tables or indexes exist that use the access method. You must be the owner of the access method or have DBA privileges to drop an access method.

If a transaction is in progress, the database server waits to drop the access method until the transaction is committed or rolled back. No other users can execute the access method until the transaction has completed.

If you include the optional IF EXISTS keywords, the database server takes no action (rather than sending an exception to the application) if no access method of the specified name is registered in the current database.

Example

For this example, suppose that an access method was created by this statement:

	CREATE SECONDARY ACCESS_METHOD T_tree
	(
	  am_getnext = ttree_getnext,
	  am_unique,
	  am_cluster,
	  am_sptype = 'S'
	);

The following statement drops this access method:

DROP ACCESS_METHOD T_tree RESTRICT;

Details of existing access methods can be found in the sysams system catalog table with the following query:

SELECT am_name FROM informix.sysams;