How to Retrieve All Table Names from a Database Using JDBC?

Question

What is the method to retrieve all table names from a database schema using JDBC, and how can I filter them based on a specific prefix?

Connection jdbcConnection = DriverManager.getConnection(url, user, password);
DatabaseMetaData m = jdbcConnection.getMetaData();
ResultSet tables = m.getTables(jdbcConnection.getCatalog(), null, "TAB_%", null);
while (tables.next()) {
    String tableName = tables.getString("TABLE_NAME");
    System.out.println("Table: " + tableName);
}

Answer

To retrieve all table names from a database in Java using JDBC, you can utilize the `DatabaseMetaData` interface's `getTables()` method. This allows you to list all tables and filter them by a specific prefix if needed.

Connection jdbcConnection = DriverManager.getConnection(url, user, password);
DatabaseMetaData meta = jdbcConnection.getMetaData();
String[] types = {

Causes

  • Incorrect connection parameters in DriverManager.getConnection() method.
  • Not handling ResultSet correctly, leading to no output.
  • Using wrong column index while accessing the table name from the ResultSet.

Solutions

  • Ensure that your database URL, user, and password are correct in the connection string.
  • Use a while loop to iterate through the ResultSet instead of a for loop, as the latter does not properly read entries sequentially.
  • Access the correct column name for table names from the ResultSet using getString("TABLE_NAME") rather than the getMetaData().getTableName(i) method.

Common Mistakes

Mistake: Using a for loop to iterate over the ResultSet with an index, which is not suitable for ResultSets.

Solution: Use a while loop to iterate through the ResultSet as `tables.next()`.

Mistake: Passing incorrect parameters in `getTables()` method, which may result in null output.

Solution: Check the catalog name and other parameters to ensure they match your database schema.

Mistake: Not closing the database connection, leading to potential memory leaks.

Solution: Always use try-with-resources or ensures that you close the connection and ResultSet in a finally block.

Helpers

  • JDBC
  • getMetaData
  • retrieve table names
  • database table listing
  • Java database
  • filter by prefix

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