SQL CREATE DATABASE Syntax

This article contains the SQL CREATE DATABASE syntax, as implemented by various database management systems (DBMSs). The syntax is listed exactly as each vendor has listed it on their website. Click on the applicable link to view more detail about the syntax for a particular vendor.

The DBMSs covered are MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and Oracle Database.

MySQL

From the MySQL 5.7 Reference Manual:

CREATE {DATABASE | SCHEMA} [IF NOT EXISTS] db_name
    [create_specification] ...

create_specification:
    [DEFAULT] CHARACTER SET [=] charset_name
  | [DEFAULT] COLLATE [=] collation_name

SQL Server

From the Transact-SQL Reference:

CREATE DATABASE database_name 
[ CONTAINMENT = { NONE | PARTIAL } ]
[ ON 
      [ PRIMARY ] <filespec> [ ,...n ] 
      [ , <filegroup> [ ,...n ] ] 
      [ LOG ON <filespec> [ ,...n ] ] 
] 
[ COLLATE collation_name ]
[ WITH  <option> [,...n ] ]
[;]

<option> ::=
{
      FILESTREAM ( <filestream_option> [,...n ] )
    | DEFAULT_FULLTEXT_LANGUAGE = { lcid | language_name | language_alias }
    | DEFAULT_LANGUAGE = { lcid | language_name | language_alias }
    | NESTED_TRIGGERS = { OFF | ON }
    | TRANSFORM_NOISE_WORDS = { OFF | ON}
    | TWO_DIGIT_YEAR_CUTOFF = <two_digit_year_cutoff> 
    | DB_CHAINING { OFF | ON }
    | TRUSTWORTHY { OFF | ON }
}

<filestream_option> ::=
{
      NON_TRANSACTED_ACCESS = { OFF | READ_ONLY | FULL }
    | DIRECTORY_NAME = 'directory_name' 
}

To attach a database
CREATE DATABASE database_name 
    ON <filespec> [ ,...n ] 
    FOR { { ATTACH [ WITH <attach_database_option> [ , ...n ] ] }
        | ATTACH_REBUILD_LOG }
[;]

<filespec> ::= 
{
(
    NAME = logical_file_name ,
    FILENAME = { 'os_file_name' | 'filestream_path' } 
    [ , SIZE = size [ KB | MB | GB | TB ] ] 
    [ , MAXSIZE = { max_size [ KB | MB | GB | TB ] | UNLIMITED } ] 
    [ , FILEGROWTH = growth_increment [ KB | MB | GB | TB | % ] ]
)
}

<filegroup> ::= 
{
FILEGROUP filegroup_name [ CONTAINS FILESTREAM ] [ DEFAULT ]
    <filespec> [ ,...n ]
}

<attach_database_option> ::=
{
      <service_broker_option>
    | RESTRICTED_USER
    | FILESTREAM ( DIRECTORY_NAME = { 'directory_name' | NULL } )
}

<service_broker_option> ::=
{
    ENABLE_BROKER
  | NEW_BROKER
  | ERROR_BROKER_CONVERSATIONS
}

Create a database snapshot
CREATE DATABASE database_snapshot_name 
    ON 
    (
        NAME = logical_file_name,
        FILENAME = 'os_file_name' 
    ) [ ,...n ] 
    AS SNAPSHOT OF source_database_name
[;]

PostgreSQL

From the PostgreSQL 9.5 Manual:

CREATE DATABASE name
    [ [ WITH ] [ OWNER [=] user_name ]
           [ TEMPLATE [=] template ]
           [ ENCODING [=] encoding ]
           [ LC_COLLATE [=] lc_collate ]
           [ LC_CTYPE [=] lc_ctype ]
           [ TABLESPACE [=] tablespace_name ]
           [ ALLOW_CONNECTIONS [=] allowconn ]
           [ CONNECTION LIMIT [=] connlimit ] ]
           [ IS_TEMPLATE [=] istemplate ]

Oracle Database

From the Oracle Database Online Documentation 12c Release 1 (12.1):

CREATE DATABASE [ database ]
  { USER SYS IDENTIFIED BY password
  | USER SYSTEM IDENTIFIED BY password
  | CONTROLFILE REUSE
  | MAXDATAFILES integer
  | MAXINSTANCES integer
  | CHARACTER SET charset
  | NATIONAL CHARACTER SET charset
  | SET DEFAULT
      { BIGFILE | SMALLFILE } TABLESPACE
  | database_logging_clauses
  | tablespace_clauses
  | set_time_zone_clause
  | [ BIGFILE | SMALLFILE ] USER_DATA TABLESPACE tablespace_name
      DATAFILE datafile_tempfile_spec [, datafile_tempfile_spec ]...
  | enable_pluggable_database
  }... ;

The following outlines the detail of the various clauses.

database_logging_clauses

{ LOGFILE
    [ GROUP integer ] file_specification
      [, [ GROUP integer ] file_specification ]...
| MAXLOGFILES integer
| MAXLOGMEMBERS integer
| MAXLOGHISTORY integer
| { ARCHIVELOG | NOARCHIVELOG }
| FORCE LOGGING
}

tablespace_clauses

{ EXTENT MANAGEMENT LOCAL
| DATAFILE file_specification [, file_specification ]...
| SYSAUX DATAFILE file_specification [, file_specification ]...
| default_tablespace
| default_temp_tablespace
| undo_tablespace
}

default_tablespace

DEFAULT TABLESPACE tablespace
[ DATAFILE datafile_tempfile_spec ]
[ extent_management_clause ]

default_temp_tablespace

  [ BIGFILE | SMALLFILE ]
DEFAULT TEMPORARY TABLESPACE tablespace
  [ TEMPFILE file_specification [, file_specification ]...]
  [ extent_management_clause ]

extent_management_clause

EXTENT MANAGEMENT LOCAL
  [ AUTOALLOCATE
  | UNIFORM [ SIZE size_clause ]
  ]

undo_tablespace

  [ BIGFILE | SMALLFILE ]
UNDO TABLESPACE tablespace
  [ TABLESPACE file_specification [, file_specification ]...]

set_time_zone_clause

SET TIME_ZONE =
   '{ { + | - } hh : mi | time_zone_region }'

enable_pluggable_database

ENABLE PLUGGABLE DATABASE
  [ SEED
  [ file_name_convert ]
  [ SYSTEM tablespace_datafile_clauses ]
  [ SYSAUX tablespace_datafile_clauses ]
  ]

file_name_convert

FILE_NAME_CONVERT =
  { ( 'filename_pattern', 'replacement_filename_pattern'
      [, 'filename_pattern', 'replacement_filename_pattern' ]... )
    |
    NONE
  }

tablespace_datafile_clauses

DATAFILES { SIZE size_clause | autoextend_clause }...

SQL Standard

Note that there is no CREATE DATABASE statement in the official SQL standard. The SQL standard leaves it up to vendors to define how a particular implementation will create a database.

Using the GUI

Creating databases can also be done via the GUI in each of the database management systems, or by using any of the GUI tools available for use with that product.

For example, you can create a database via the GUI when working with MySQL Workbench.

Database.Guide

SQL CREATE DATABASE Syntax – Listed by DBMS