How to delete a column from a table in MySQL

How to delete a column from a table in MySQL

So, you want to delete a column from a table in MySQL, huh? Don't worry, we've got your back! 😎

Before we jump into the solution, let's understand the problem a bit. We have a table called tbl_Country with the following structure:

CREATE TABLE tbl_Country
(
  CountryId INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
  IsDeleted bit,
  PRIMARY KEY (CountryId) 
)

And we want to delete the column IsDeleted. 🗑️

The Common Issue

The common issue many people face is that they try to directly delete the column using a simple DELETE COLUMN command which, unfortunately, doesn't exist. 😕

The Solution

To delete a column from a table, we need to use the ALTER TABLE statement with the DROP clause. Here's the syntax:

ALTER TABLE table_name
DROP COLUMN column_name;

Let's apply this solution to our specific problem:

ALTER TABLE tbl_Country
DROP COLUMN IsDeleted;

And just like that, the column IsDeleted is gone! ✨

Alternative Solution

If you prefer a visual approach or using a GUI tool, you can also delete a column through the MySQL Workbench. Here's how:

1. Open MySQL Workbench and connect to your database.

2. Expand the schema that contains the table you want to modify.

3. Find and double-click on the table.

4. In the Columns tab, locate the column you want to delete.

5. Right-click on the column and select Delete.

6. Confirm the deletion in the pop-up window.

The Call-to-Action

And there you have it! Deleting a column from a table in MySQL is not as complicated as it may seem. Give it a try and witness the magic! ✨

If you found this post helpful, feel free to share it with your friends or colleagues who might find it useful too. And if you have any questions or face any issues, drop a comment below! We're here to help. 🤝