1  DELETE_RELATION
   Deletes one or more relation definitions and all associated
   relation-specific constraints. When the DELETE RELATION statement
   executes, Oracle Rdb deletes the relation definition, the storage
   map (if one exists), the constraints associated with the relation
   definition, and the data stored in that relation from the
   physical database. If you invoke the database using the PATHNAME
   argument, Oracle Rdb also deletes the relation definition from the
   CDD$DATABASE definition of the database in the data dictionary.

   Example:

   DELETE RELATION COLLEGES.
 

2  Format

 (B)0DELETE RELATION qqqwqqqq> relation-name qqqqwqqqqq> .
                    mqqqqq<qqqqq , <qqqqqqqqqj

   relation-name      The name of the relation definition you want
                      to delete.
 

2  More
   You must have the Oracle Rdb DELETE privilege to a relation to
   delete the relation with the DELETE RELATION statement.

   If the database is created with the DICTIONARY IS REQUIRED
   option, you must invoke the database by path name, rather than
   file name, before you issue this statement.

   You cannot delete a relation when there are other active
   transactions involving the relation. That is, you must have
   EXCLUSIVE access to the relation.

   If a view definition refers to a relation you want to delete, you
   must delete that view definition before you delete the relation.

   If a constraint in the database references a relation, you
   cannot delete that relation until you delete the constraint that
   references the relation.

   You must execute this statement in a read/write transaction.
   If there is no active transaction and you issue this statement,
   Oracle Rdb starts a read/write transaction implicitly.

   Other users are allowed to be attached to the database when you
   issue the DELETE RELATION statement.
 

2  Examples
   Example 1

   Delete a single relation definition:

   RDO> INVOKE DATABASE PATHNAME "PERSONNEL"
   RDO> DELETE RELATION COLLEGES.
   RDO> COMMIT

   This statement deletes the definition for COLLEGES from the
   database file for PERSONNEL and from the data dictionary.

   Example 2

   Delete more than one relation definition:

   RDO> INVOKE DATABASE PATHNAME "PERSONNEL"
   RDO> DELETE RELATION DEGREES, COLLEGES.
   RDO> COMMIT

   This statement deletes both DEGREES and COLLEGES from the
   database file for PERSONNEL and from the data dictionary.

   Example 3

   Delete a single relation and its associated relation-specific
   constraints from the database. In this case, to delete the
   COLLEGES relation, it is necessary first to delete the DEGREES
   relation and the COLLEGE_CODE_CASCADE_UPDATE trigger because the
   COLLEGES relation has constraints that depend on them.

   RDO> INVOKE DATABASE PATHNAME "PERSONNEL"
   RDO> DELETE RELATION COLLEGES.
   %RDB-E-NO_META_UPDATE, metadata update failed
   -RDMS-F-CONEXI, relation COLLEGES is referenced in constraint
   DEGREES_FOREIGN2
   -RDMS-F-RELNOTDEL, relation COLLEGES has not been deleted
   RDO> DELETE CONSTRAINT DEGREES_FOREIGN2.
   %RDB-E-NO_META_UPDATE, metadata update failed
   -RDMS-F-CONDELVIAREL, constraint DEGREES_FOREIGN2 can only be
   deleted by changing or deleting relation DEGREES
   RDO> DELETE RELATION DEGREES.
   RDO> delete relation colleges.
   %RDB-E-NO_META_UPDATE, metadata update failed
   -RDMS-F-TRGEXI, relation COLLEGES is referenced in
   trigger COLLEGE_CODE_CASCADE_UPDATE
   -RDMS-F-RELNOTDEL, relation COLLEGES has not been deleted
   RDO> DELETE TRIGGER COLLEGE_CODE_CASCADE_UPDATE.
   RDO> DELETE RELATION COLLEGES.
   RDO> COMMIT

   This statement deletes the definition for COLLEGES from the
   database file for PERSONNEL and from the data dictionary.