How can I drop all indexes in a SQL database with one command?

Question

So, how can I drop all indexes in a SQL database with one command? I have this command that will get me all the 20 or so drop statements, but how can I run all of those drop statements from this "result set"?

select * from vw_drop_idnex;

Another variation that gives me the same list is:

SELECT  'DROP INDEX ' + ix.Name + ' ON ' + OBJECT_NAME(ID)  AS QUERYLIST
FROM  sysindexes ix
WHERE   ix.Name IS NOT null and ix.Name like '%pre_%'

I tried to do "exec(select cmd from vw_drop_idnex)" and it didn't work. I am looking for something that works like a for loop and runs the queries one by one.

-----------------------

With Rob Farleys help, final draft of the script is:

declare @ltr nvarchar(1024);
SELECT @ltr = ( select 'alter table '+o.name+' drop constraint '+i.name+';'
  from sys.indexes i join sys.objects o on  i.object_id=o.object_id
  where o.type<>'S' and is_primary_key=1
  FOR xml path('') );
exec sp_executesql @ltr;

declare @qry nvarchar(1024);
select @qry = (select 'drop index '+o.name+'.'+i.name+';'
  from sys.indexes i join sys.objects o on  i.object_id=o.object_id
  where o.type<>'S' and is_primary_key<>1 and index_id>0
for xml path(''));
exec sp_executesql @qry

Answer 1

You're very close.

declare @qry nvarchar(max);
select @qry = 
(SELECT  'DROP INDEX ' + quotename(ix.name) + ' ON ' + quotename(object_schema_name(object_id)) + '.' + quotename(OBJECT_NAME(object_id)) + '; '
FROM  sys.indexes ix
WHERE   ix.Name IS NOT null and ix.Name like '%prefix_%'
for xml path(''));
exec sp_executesql @qry

Answer 2

this worked for me we skip sys indexes and for constraints

declare @qry nvarchar(max);
select @qry = (

    select  'IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM sys.indexes WHERE name='''+ i.name +''' AND object_id = OBJECT_ID(''['+s.name+'].['+o.name+']''))      drop index ['+i.name+'] ON ['+s.name+'].['+o.name+'];  '
    from sys.indexes i 
        inner join sys.objects o on  i.object_id=o.object_id
        inner join sys.schemas s on o.schema_id = s.schema_id
    where o.type<>'S' and is_primary_key<>1 and index_id>0
    and s.name!='sys' and s.name!='sys' and is_unique_constraint=0
for xml path(''));

exec sp_executesql @qry

Answer 3

From: Stephen Hill's Bloggie

DECLARE @indexName VARCHAR(128)
DECLARE @tableName VARCHAR(128)

DECLARE [indexes] CURSOR FOR

        SELECT          [sysindexes].[name] AS [Index],
                        [sysobjects].[name] AS [Table]

        FROM            [sysindexes]

        INNER JOIN      [sysobjects]
        ON              [sysindexes].[id] = [sysobjects].[id]

        WHERE           [sysindexes].[name] IS NOT NULL 
        AND             [sysobjects].[type] = 'U'
        --AND               [sysindexes].[indid] > 1

OPEN [indexes]

FETCH NEXT FROM [indexes] INTO @indexName, @tableName

WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0
BEGIN
        --PRINT 'DROP INDEX [' + @indexName + '] ON [' + @tableName + ']'
        Exec ('DROP INDEX [' + @indexName + '] ON [' + @tableName + ']')

        FETCH NEXT FROM [indexes] INTO @indexName, @tableName
END

CLOSE           [indexes]
DEALLOCATE      [indexes]

GO