[role="xpack"]
[testenv="basic"]
[[sql-syntax-show-tables]]
=== SHOW TABLES

.Synopsis
[source, sql]
----
SHOW TABLES [ table identifier<1> | [ LIKE pattern<2> ] ]?
----

<1> single table identifier or double quoted es multi index
<2> SQL LIKE pattern

See <<sql-index-patterns, index patterns>> for more information about
patterns.


.Description

List the tables available to the current user and their type.

["source","sql",subs="attributes,callouts,macros"]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs.csv-spec[showTables]
----

Match multiple indices by using {es} <<multi-index,multi index syntax>>
notation:

["source","sql",subs="attributes,callouts,macros"]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs.csv-spec[showTablesEsMultiIndex]
----

One can also use the `LIKE` clause to restrict the list of names to the given pattern.

The pattern can be an exact match:
["source","sql",subs="attributes,callouts,macros"]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs.csv-spec[showTablesLikeExact]
----

Multiple chars:
["source","sql",subs="attributes,callouts,macros"]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs.csv-spec[showTablesLikeWildcard]
----

A single char:
["source","sql",subs="attributes,callouts,macros"]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs.csv-spec[showTablesLikeOneChar]
----


Or a mixture of single and multiple chars:
["source","sql",subs="attributes,callouts,macros"]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs.csv-spec[showTablesLikeMixed]
----