> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://replyke-feat-push-rich-payload-fields.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tables — Management

> Create and drop custom tables and columns from your server with the client.tables module

The `tables` module manages the **schema** of your custom tables — creating and dropping tables, and adding and dropping columns. For reading and writing rows, see [Tables — Rows](/v7/node-sdk/tables). For the feature overview, see [Custom Tables](/v7/custom-tables).

<Note>
  Table management is **service-key only**, so it lives in the server-side
  `@sublay/node` SDK only — the browser [`@sublay/js`](/v7/js-sdk/overview) SDK
  and the React `useTable` hook are row-only. The same operations are also
  available in the [dashboard data editor](/v7/custom-tables#the-dashboard-data-editor).
</Note>

All names you pass are **logical** — Sublay applies the `custom_` prefix for you.

***

### createTable

Creates a custom table with the given columns and managed-column flags.

```typescript theme={null}
await sublay.tables.createTable({
  tableName: "Events",
  timestamps: true,
  paranoid: true,
  columns: [
    { columnName: "name", dataType: "text", nullable: false },
    { columnName: "capacity", dataType: "integer", nullable: true, defaultValue: "0" },
    { columnName: "startsAt", dataType: "timestamp", nullable: true },
    { columnName: "metadata", dataType: "json", nullable: true },
  ],
});
```

<ParamField body="tableName" type="string" required>
  The logical table name (max 56 characters — 63 minus the `custom_` prefix).
  Sublay stores it as `custom_<tableName>`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="columns" type="CustomColumnDefinition[]" required>
  The developer columns to create. Each is `{ columnName, dataType, nullable, defaultValue? }`.
  `dataType` is one of `text`, `integer`, `float`, `decimal`, `boolean`, `date`,
  `timestamp`, `uuid`, `json`. A column may not be named `id`, `createdAt`,
  `updatedAt`, or `deletedAt` (reserved managed columns).
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="timestamps" type="boolean">
  Emit `createdAt` / `updatedAt`. Defaults to `true`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="paranoid" type="boolean">
  Emit `deletedAt` and enable soft delete. **Requires `timestamps`.** Defaults to
  `false`.
</ParamField>

**Returns** — `Promise<{ table: string }>` — the physical (`custom_*`) table name.

<Info>
  Errors are returned with a `database/*` code: `database/reserved-column` (a
  column shadows a managed name), `database/name-too-long` (over 56 chars),
  `database/table-limit-reached` (100 tables), `database/column-limit-reached`
  (100 columns).
</Info>

***

### addColumn

Adds a column to an existing custom table.

```typescript theme={null}
await sublay.tables.addColumn({
  tableName: "Events",
  columnName: "venue",
  dataType: "text",
  nullable: true,
});
```

<ParamField body="tableName" type="string" required>
  The logical table name.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="columnName" type="string" required>
  The new column's name (may not be a reserved managed name).
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="dataType" type="CustomColumnType" required>
  One of `text`, `integer`, `float`, `decimal`, `boolean`, `date`, `timestamp`,
  `uuid`, `json`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="nullable" type="boolean" required>
  Whether the column accepts `null`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="defaultValue" type="string | null">
  Optional default literal, validated against `dataType`.
</ParamField>

**Returns** — `Promise<{ added: string }>`

***

### dropColumn

Drops a column from a custom table. Managed columns (`id`, `createdAt`, `updatedAt`, `deletedAt`) cannot be dropped.

```typescript theme={null}
await sublay.tables.dropColumn({ tableName: "Events", columnName: "venue" });
```

<ParamField body="tableName" type="string" required>
  The logical table name.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="columnName" type="string" required>
  The column to drop.
</ParamField>

**Returns** — `Promise<{ dropped: string }>`

***

### dropTable

Drops a custom table and all of its rows. This is irreversible.

```typescript theme={null}
await sublay.tables.dropTable({ tableName: "Events" });
```

<ParamField body="tableName" type="string" required>
  The logical table name.
</ParamField>

**Returns** — `Promise<{ dropped: string }>`