---
sidebar_position: 3
title: Switching the current database
description: Change the active database and schema context using USE statements.
---
import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';

Below are examples of how to determine the current/active database and schema and switch between different databases and schemas:

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```sql
-- check your current database
SELECT current_database();
dbname


-- list all tables in the current database
SHOW TABLES;
table1
table2


-- list all databases
SHOW DATABASES;
dbname
dbname2

-- switch to database named 'dbname2'
USE dbname2;

-- verify that you've successfully switched databases
SELECT current_database();
dbname2 

-- check your current schema
SELECT current_schema();
main

-- list all schemas across all databases
SELECT * FROM duckdb_schemas();
```

| oid  | database_name | database_oid |    schema_name     | internal | sql  |
|------|---------------|--------------|--------------------|----------|------|
| 986  | my_db         | 989          | information_schema | true     | NULL |
| 974  | my_db         | 989          | main               | false    | NULL |
| 972  | my_db         | 989          | my_schema          | false    | NULL |
| 987  | my_db         | 989          | pg_catalog         | true     | NULL |
| 1508 | system        | 0            | information_schema | true     | NULL |
| 0    | system        | 0            | main               | true     | NULL |
| 1509 | system        | 0            | pg_catalog         | true     | NULL |
| 1510 | temp          | 1453         | information_schema | true     | NULL |
| 1454 | temp          | 1453         | main               | true     | NULL |
| 1511 | temp          | 1453         | pg_catalog         | true     | NULL |


```sql
-- switch to schema my_schema within the same database
USE my_schema;

-- verify that you've successfully switched schemas
SELECT current_schema();
my_schema

-- switch to database my_db and schema main 
USE my_db.my_schema

-- verify that both the database and schema have been changed
SELECT current_database(), current_schema();
```

| current_database() | current_schema() |
|--------------------|------------------|
| my_db              | main             |


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