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DROP METHOD (SQL)

Deletes a method.

Synopsis

DROP METHOD [IF EXISTS] name [ FROM className ]

Description

The DROP METHOD command deletes a method. When you delete a method, InterSystems IRIS revokes it from all users and roles to whom it has been granted and removes it from the database.

In order to delete a method, you must have %DROP_METHOD administrative privilege, as specified by the GRANT command. If you are attempting to delete a method for a class with a defined owner, you must be logged in as the owner of the class. Otherwise, the system generates an SQLCODE -99 error (Privilege Violation).

You cannot drop a method if the class definition that contains that method definition is a deployed class. This operation fails with an SQLCODE -400 error with the %msg Unable to execute DDL that modifies a deployed class: 'classname'.

The following combinations of name and FROM className are supported. Note that the FROM clause specifies the class package name and method name, not the SQL names. In these examples, the system-wide default schema name is SQLUser, which corresponds to the User class package:

  • DROP METHOD BonusCalc FROM methBonusCalc: drops the method SQLUser.BonusCalc().

  • DROP METHOD BonusCalc FROM User.methBonusCalc: drops the method SQLUser.BonusCalc().

  • DROP METHOD Test.BonusCalc FROM methBonusCalc: drops the method SQLUser.BonusCalc().

  • DROP METHOD BonusCalc FROM Employees.methBonusCalc: drops the method Employees.BonusCalc().

  • DROP METHOD Test.BonusCalc FROM Employees.methBonusCalc: drops the method Employees.BonusCalc().

If the specified method does not exist, DROP METHOD generates an SQLCODE -362 error. If the specified className does not exist, DROP METHOD generates an SQLCODE -360 error. If the specified method could refer to two or more methods, DROP METHOD generates an SQLCODE -361 error; you must specify a className to resolve this ambiguity.

If a method has been defined with the PROCEDURE characteristic keyword, you can determine if it exists in the current namespace by invoking the $SYSTEM.SQL.Schema.ProcedureExists()Opens in a new tab method. A method defined with the PROCEDURE keyword can be deleted either by DROP METHOD or DROP PROCEDURE.

You can also delete a method by removing the method from the class definition and then recompiling the class, or by deleting the entire class.

Arguments

IF EXISTS

An optional argument that suppresses the error if the command is executed on a nonexistent method.

name

The name of the method to be deleted. The name is an identifier. Do not specify the method’s parameter parentheses. A name can be qualified (schema.name), or unqualified (name). An unqualified method name takes the default schema name, unless the FROM className clause is specified.

FROM className

If specified, the FROM className clause deletes the method from the given class. Note that you must specify the className of a method (methBonusCalc), not the SQL name (BonusCalc). If this clause is not specified, InterSystems IRIS searches all classes of the schema for the method, and deletes it. However, if no method of this name is found, or more than one method of this name is found, an error code is returned. If the deletion of the method results in an empty class, DROP METHOD deletes the class as well.

Examples

The following example attempts to delete mymeth from the class User.Employee. (Refer to CREATE TABLE for an example that creates class User.Employee.)

DROP METHOD mymeth FROM User.Employee

See Also

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