In SQL, it is common to need to rename tables for various reasons such as reorganizing the database or improving naming conventions. This blog post will guide you through the process of renaming a table using SQL command-line interface (CLI).

Table of Contents

• Prerequisites
• Renaming a Table
• Conclusion
• References

Prerequisites

Before renaming a table, ensure that you have the following prerequisites:

• Access to the SQL CLI for your database system, such as MySQL or PostgreSQL.
• Sufficient privileges to execute SQL commands.

Renaming a Table

To rename a table using SQL CLI, follow these steps:

1. Open your SQL CLI by running the respective command for your database system.

2. Connect to your database by entering the necessary connection details, such as hostname, username, and password.

3. Once connected, use the RENAME TABLE statement to rename the table. The syntax may vary slightly depending on the database system you are using. Here’s the general syntax:

   RENAME TABLE current_table_name TO new_table_name;
   

   Replace current_table_name with the name of the table you want to rename and new_table_name with the desired new name for the table.

   For example, to rename a table named employees to staff, you would run the following command:

   RENAME TABLE employees TO staff;
   

4. After executing the command, the table will be renamed. You can verify the change by listing the tables in the database or running queries that reference the renamed table.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have covered the process of renaming a table using SQL CLI. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily rename tables in your database system. Remember to exercise caution when renaming tables and ensure that any dependent objects or queries are updated accordingly.

References

• MySQL Documentation: RENAME TABLE
• PostgreSQL Documentation: ALTER TABLE