How can I create a copy of an Oracle table without copying the data?

Question

Just use a where clause that won't select any rows:

create table xyz_new as select * from xyz where 1=0;

Limitations

The following things will not be copied to the new table:

• sequences
• triggers
• indexes
• some constraints may not be copied
• materialized view logs

This also does not handle partitions

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I used the method that you accepted a lot, but as someone pointed out it doesn't duplicate constraints (except for NOT NULL, I think).

A more advanced method if you want to duplicate the full structure is:

SET LONG 5000
SELECT dbms_metadata.get_ddl( 'TABLE', 'MY_TABLE_NAME' ) FROM DUAL;

This will give you the full create statement text which you can modify as you wish for creating the new table. You would have to change the names of the table and all constraints of course.

(You could also do this in older versions using EXP/IMP, but it's much easier now.)

Edited to add If the table you are after is in a different schema:

SELECT dbms_metadata.get_ddl( 'TABLE', 'MY_TABLE_NAME', 'OTHER_SCHEMA_NAME' ) FROM DUAL;

create table xyz_new as select * from xyz where rownum = -1;

To avoid iterate again and again and insert nothing based on the condition where 1=2

Using sql developer select the table and click on the DDL tab

You can use that code to create a new table with no data when you run it in a sql worksheet

sqldeveloper is a free to use app from oracle.

If the table has sequences or triggers the ddl will sometimes generate those for you too. You just have to be careful what order you make them in and know when to turn the triggers on or off.

    DECLARE
    l_ddl   VARCHAR2 (32767);
BEGIN
    l_ddl      := REPLACE (
                      REPLACE (
                          DBMS_LOB.SUBSTR (DBMS_METADATA.get_ddl ('TABLE', 'ACTIVITY_LOG', 'OLDSCHEMA'))
                        , q'["OLDSCHEMA"]'
                        , q'["NEWSCHEMA"]'
                      )
                    , q'["OLDTABLSPACE"]'
                    , q'["NEWTABLESPACE"]'
                  );

    EXECUTE IMMEDIATE l_ddl;
END;