DROP FUNCTION Statement

14.15 DROP FUNCTION Statement

The DROP FUNCTION statement drops a standalone function from the database.

Note:

Do not use this statement to drop a function that is part of a package. Instead, either drop the entire package using the "DROP PACKAGE Statement" or redefine the package without the function using the "CREATE PACKAGE Statement" with the OR REPLACE clause.

Topics

Prerequisites

The function must be in your schema or you must have the DROP ANY PROCEDURE system privilege.

Syntax

drop_function ::=

Description of the illustration drop_function.eps

Semantics

drop_function

IF EXISTS

Drops the function if it exists. If no such function exists, the statement is ignored without error.

schema

Name of the schema containing the function. Default: your schema.

function_name

Name of the function to be dropped.

The database invalidates any local objects that depend on, or invoke, the dropped function. If you subsequently reference one of these objects, then the database tries to recompile the object and returns an error if you have not re-created the dropped function.

If any statistics types are associated with the function, then the database disassociates the statistics types with the FORCE option and drops any user-defined statistics collected with the statistics type.

See Also:

Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about the ASSOCIATE STATISTICS statement
Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about the DISASSOCIATE STATISTICS statement

Example

Example 14-32 Dropping a Function

This statement drops the function SecondMax in the sample schema oe and invalidates all objects that depend upon SecondMax:

DROP FUNCTION IF EXISTS oe.SecondMax;

If SecondMax does not already exist in the schema, this statement is ignored without error. Note that the output message is the same whether or not the function exists (in this case, Function dropped.).