MySQL Reference Manual :: 13.1.6 DROP DATABASE Syntax

       DROP {DATABASE | SCHEMA} [IF EXISTS] db_name
     

DROP DATABASE drops all tables in the database and deletes the database. Be very careful with this statement! To use DROP DATABASE, you need the DROP privilege on the database.

In MySQL 3.22 or later, you can use the keywords IF EXISTS to prevent an error from occurring if the database doesn't exist.

DROP SCHEMA can be used as of MySQL 5.0.2.

If you use DROP DATABASE on a symbolically linked database, both the link and the original database are deleted.

As of MySQL 4.1.2, DROP DATABASE returns the number of tables that were removed. This corresponds to the number of .frm files removed.

The DROP DATABASE statement removes from the given database directory those files and directories that MySQL itself may create during normal operation:

If other files or directories remain in the database directory after MySQL removes those just listed, the database directory cannot be removed. In this case, you must remove any remaining files or directories manually and issue the DROP DATABASE statement again.

You can also drop databases with mysqladmin. See Section 8.4, “mysqladmin, Administering a MySQL Server”.