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

.Synopsis:
[source, sql]
----
SHOW TABLES
    [CATALOG [catalog_identifier | <1>
              LIKE pattern]]?      <2>
    [INCLUDE FROZEN]?              <3>
    [table_identifier |            <4>
     LIKE pattern]?                <5>
----

<1> Catalog (cluster) identifier. Supports wildcards (`*`).
<2> SQL LIKE pattern matching catalog names.
<3> Whether or not to include frozen indices.
<4> Single table (index or data stream) identifier or double-quoted multi-target pattern.
<5> SQL LIKE pattern matching table names.

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]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs/docs.csv-spec[showTables]
----

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

[source, sql]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs/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]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs/docs.csv-spec[showTablesLikeExact]
----

Multiple chars:
[source, sql]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs/docs.csv-spec[showTablesLikeWildcard]
----

A single char:
[source, sql]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/docs/docs.csv-spec[showTablesLikeOneChar]
----


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

List tables within remote clusters whose names are matched by a wildcard:
[source, sql]
----
include-tagged::{sql-specs}/multi-cluster-with-security/multi-cluster-command.csv-spec[showTablesCatalogPatternMultiLike]
----
