doc/modules/cassandra/pages/reference/cql-commands/create-table.adoc

= CREATE TABLE
:description: Defines the columns of a new table.

{description}

{product} supports creating a new https://cassandra.apache.org/_/glossary.html#table[table] in the selected keyspace.
Use `IF NOT EXISTS` to suppress the error message if the table already exists;
no table is created.
A xref:cassandra:reference/static.adoc[static column] can store the same data in multiple clustered rows of a partition, and then retrieve that data with a single `SELECT` statement.

Tables support a single xref:developing/cql/counter-column.adoc[counter column].

*See also:* xref:cassandra:reference/cql-commands/alter-table.adoc[ALTER TABLE],
xref:cassandra:reference/cql-commands/drop-table.adoc[DROP TABLE],
xref:cassandra:reference/cql-commands/create-custom-index.adoc[CREATE CUSTOM INDEX] for Storage-Attached Indexes (SAI), xref:cassandra:reference/cql-commands/create-index.adoc[CREATE INDEX] for secondary indexes (2i)

== Syntax

BNF definition:

[source,bnf]
----
include::cassandra:example$BNF/create_table.bnf[]
----

// tag::syntax[]
----
CREATE TABLE [ IF NOT EXISTS ] [<keyspace_name>.]<table_name>
  ( <column_definition> [ , ... ] | PRIMARY KEY (column_list) )
  [ WITH [ <table_options> ]
  [ [ AND ] CLUSTERING ORDER BY [ <clustering_column_name> (ASC | DESC) ] ]
  [ [ AND ] ID = '<table_hash_tag>' ] ] ;
----
// end::syntax[]

.Syntax legend
[%collapsible]
====
include::partial$cql-syntax-legend.adoc[]
====

== Required parameters

*table_name*::
Name of the table to index.

*column_name*::
Name of the column.

// Column Definitions

include::cassandra:partial$table-column-definitions.adoc[]

// Primary Key

include::cassandra:partial$primary-key-column.adoc[]

// Table Options

include::cassandra:partial$table-properties.adoc[]

// Compression

include::cassandra:partial$compress-subproperties.adoc[]

// Compaction

include::cassandra:partial$compact-subproperties.adoc[]

== Optional parameters

// Table Keywords

include::cassandra:partial$cluster-order.adoc[]

*index_name*::
Name of the index.
Enclose in quotes to use special characters or preserve capitalization.
If no name is specified, {product} names the index: `<table_name>_<column_name>_idx`.

*keyspace_name*::
Name of the keyspace that contains the table to index.
If no name is specified, the current keyspace is used.

== Usage notes

If the column already contains data, it is indexed during the execution of this statement.
After an index has been created, it is automatically updated when data in the column changes.

Indexing with the `CREATE INDEX` command can impact performance.
Before creating an index, be aware of when and xref:cassandra:developing/indexing/2i/2i-when-to-use.adoc#when-no-index[when not to create an index].

*Restriction:* Indexing counter columns is not supported.

include::create-table-examples.adoc[leveloffset=+1]