Working with DynamoDB tables in Java - Amazon DynamoDB
Creating a tableUpdating a tableDeleting a tableListing tables
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Working with DynamoDB tables in Java

You can use the Amazon SDK for Java to create, update, and delete Amazon DynamoDB tables, list all the tables in your account, or get information about a specific table.

Topics

Creating a table

To create a table, you must provide the table name, its primary key, and the provisioned throughput values. The following code snippet creates an example table that uses a numeric type attribute ID as its primary key.

To create a table using the Amazon SDK for Java API

  1. Create an instance of the DynamoDB class.

  2. Instantiate a CreateTableRequest to provide the request information.

    You must provide the table name, attribute definitions, key schema, and provisioned throughput values.

  3. Run the createTable method by providing the request object as a parameter.

The following code example demonstrates the preceding steps.

AmazonDynamoDB client = AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder.standard().build();
DynamoDB dynamoDB = new DynamoDB(client);

List<AttributeDefinition> attributeDefinitions= new ArrayList<AttributeDefinition>();
attributeDefinitions.add(new AttributeDefinition().withAttributeName("Id").withAttributeType("N"));

List<KeySchemaElement> keySchema = new ArrayList<KeySchemaElement>();
keySchema.add(new KeySchemaElement().withAttributeName("Id").withKeyType(KeyType.HASH));

CreateTableRequest request = new CreateTableRequest()
        .withTableName(tableName)
        .withKeySchema(keySchema)
        .withAttributeDefinitions(attributeDefinitions)
        .withProvisionedThroughput(new ProvisionedThroughput()
            .withReadCapacityUnits(5L)
            .withWriteCapacityUnits(6L));

Table table = dynamoDB.createTable(request);

table.waitForActive();

The table is not ready for use until DynamoDB creates it and sets its status to ACTIVE. The createTable request returns a Table object that you can use to obtain more information about the table.

Example 
TableDescription tableDescription =
    dynamoDB.getTable(tableName).describe();

System.out.printf("%s: %s \t ReadCapacityUnits: %d \t WriteCapacityUnits: %d",
    tableDescription.getTableStatus(),
    tableDescription.getTableName(),
    tableDescription.getProvisionedThroughput().getReadCapacityUnits(),
    tableDescription.getProvisionedThroughput().getWriteCapacityUnits());

You can call the describe method of the client to get table information at any time.

Example 
TableDescription tableDescription = dynamoDB.getTable(tableName).describe();

Updating a table

You can update only the provisioned throughput values of an existing table. Depending on your application requirements, you might need to update these values.

Note

For more information about throughput increases and decreases per day, see Service, account, and table quotas in Amazon DynamoDB.

To update a table using the Amazon SDK for Java API

  1. Create an instance of the Table class.

  2. Create an instance of the ProvisionedThroughput class to provide the new throughput values.

  3. Run the updateTable method by providing the ProvisionedThroughput instance as a parameter.

The following code example demonstrates the preceding steps.

Example 
AmazonDynamoDB client = AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder.standard().build();
DynamoDB dynamoDB = new DynamoDB(client);

Table table = dynamoDB.getTable("ProductCatalog");

ProvisionedThroughput provisionedThroughput = new ProvisionedThroughput()
    .withReadCapacityUnits(15L)
    .withWriteCapacityUnits(12L);

table.updateTable(provisionedThroughput);

table.waitForActive();

Deleting a table

To delete a table using the Amazon SDK for Java API

  1. Create an instance of the Table class.

  2. Create an instance of the DeleteTableRequest class and provide the table name that you want to delete.

  3. Run the deleteTable method by providing the Table instance as a parameter.

The following code example demonstrates the preceding steps.

Example 
AmazonDynamoDB client = AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder.standard().build();
DynamoDB dynamoDB = new DynamoDB(client);

Table table = dynamoDB.getTable("ProductCatalog");

table.delete();

table.waitForDelete();

Listing tables

To list tables in your account, create an instance of DynamoDB and run the listTables method. The ListTables operation requires no parameters.

Example 
AmazonDynamoDB client = AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder.standard().build();
DynamoDB dynamoDB = new DynamoDB(client);

TableCollection<ListTablesResult> tables = dynamoDB.listTables();
Iterator<Table> iterator = tables.iterator();

while (iterator.hasNext()) {
    Table table = iterator.next();
    System.out.println(table.getTableName());
}