## DROP ROUTINE

DROP ROUTINE — remove a routine

## Synopsis

```
DROP ROUTINE [ IF EXISTS ] name [ ( [ [ argmode ] [ argname ] argtype [, ...] ] ) ] [, ...]
    [ CASCADE | RESTRICT ]

```

## Description

`DROP ROUTINE` removes the definition of one or more existing routines. The term “routine” includes aggregate functions, normal functions, and procedures. See under [DROP AGGREGATE](sql-dropaggregate.html), [DROP FUNCTION](sql-dropfunction.html), and [DROP PROCEDURE](sql-dropprocedure.html) for the description of the parameters, more examples, and further details.

## Notes

 The lookup rules used by `DROP ROUTINE` are fundamentally the same as for `DROP PROCEDURE`; in particular, `DROP ROUTINE` shares that command's behavior of considering an argument list that has no *`argmode`* markers to be possibly using the SQL standard's definition that `OUT` arguments are included in the list. (`DROP AGGREGATE` and `DROP FUNCTION` do not do that.)

 In some cases where the same name is shared by routines of different kinds, it is possible for `DROP ROUTINE` to fail with an ambiguity error when a more specific command (`DROP FUNCTION`, etc.) would work. Specifying the argument type list more carefully will also resolve such problems.

 These lookup rules are also used by other commands that act on existing routines, such as `ALTER ROUTINE` and `COMMENT ON ROUTINE`.

## Examples

 To drop the routine `foo` for type `integer`:

```
DROP ROUTINE foo(integer);

```

 This command will work independent of whether `foo` is an aggregate, function, or procedure.

## Compatibility

 This command conforms to the SQL standard, with these PostgreSQL extensions:

* The standard only allows one routine to be dropped per command.

* The `IF EXISTS` option is an extension.

* The ability to specify argument modes and names is an extension, and the lookup rules differ when modes are given.

* User-definable aggregate functions are an extension.

## See Also

[DROP AGGREGATE](sql-dropaggregate.html), [DROP FUNCTION](sql-dropfunction.html), [DROP PROCEDURE](sql-dropprocedure.html), [ALTER ROUTINE](sql-alterroutine.html)

 Note that there is no `CREATE ROUTINE` command.

