The AWS SDK for Java 1.x reached end-of-support on December 31, 2025. We recommend that you migrate to the [AWS SDK for Java 2.x](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/latest/developer-guide/home.html) to continue receiving new features, availability improvements, and security updates. # Working with Tables in DynamoDB Tables are the containers for all items in a DynamoDB database. Before you can add or remove data from DynamoDB, you must create a table. For each table, you must define: + A table *name* that is unique for your account and region. + A *primary key* for which every value must be unique; no two items in your table can have the same primary key value. A primary key can be *simple*, consisting of a single partition (HASH) key, or *composite*, consisting of a partition and a sort (RANGE) key. Each key value has an associated *data type*, enumerated by the [ScalarAttributeType](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/model/ScalarAttributeType.html) class. The key value can be binary (B), numeric (N), or a string (S). For more information, see [Naming Rules and Data Types](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/HowItWorks.NamingRulesDataTypes.html) in the Amazon DynamoDB Developer Guide. + *Provisioned throughput* values that define the number of reserved read/write capacity units for the table. **Note** [Amazon DynamoDB pricing](https://aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/pricing/) is based on the provisioned throughput values that you set on your tables, so reserve only as much capacity as you think you’ll need for your table. Provisioned throughput for a table can be modified at any time, so you can adjust capacity if your needs change. ## Create a Table Use the [DynamoDB client](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/AmazonDynamoDB.html)'s `createTable` method to create a new DynamoDB table. You need to construct table attributes and a table schema, both of which are used to identify the primary key of your table. You must also supply initial provisioned throughput values and a table name. Only define key table attributes when creating your DynamoDB table. **Note** If a table with the name you chose already exists, an [AmazonServiceException](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/AmazonServiceException.html) is thrown. **Imports** ``` import com.amazonaws.AmazonServiceException; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDB; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.AttributeDefinition; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.CreateTableRequest; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.CreateTableResult; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.KeySchemaElement; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.KeyType; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.ProvisionedThroughput; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.ScalarAttributeType; ``` ### Create a Table with a Simple Primary Key This code creates a table with a simple primary key ("Name"). **Code** ``` CreateTableRequest request = new CreateTableRequest() .withAttributeDefinitions(new AttributeDefinition( "Name", ScalarAttributeType.S)) .withKeySchema(new KeySchemaElement("Name", KeyType.HASH)) .withProvisionedThroughput(new ProvisionedThroughput( new Long(10), new Long(10))) .withTableName(table_name); final AmazonDynamoDB ddb = AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder.defaultClient(); try { CreateTableResult result = ddb.createTable(request); System.out.println(result.getTableDescription().getTableName()); } catch (AmazonServiceException e) { System.err.println(e.getErrorMessage()); System.exit(1); } ``` See the [complete example](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples/blob/master/java/example_code/dynamodb/src/main/java/aws/example/dynamodb/CreateTable.java) on GitHub. ### Create a Table with a Composite Primary Key Add another [AttributeDefinition](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/model/AttributeDefinition.html) and [KeySchemaElement](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/model/KeySchemaElement.html) to [CreateTableRequest](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/model/CreateTableRequest.html). **Code** ``` CreateTableRequest request = new CreateTableRequest() .withAttributeDefinitions( new AttributeDefinition("Language", ScalarAttributeType.S), new AttributeDefinition("Greeting", ScalarAttributeType.S)) .withKeySchema( new KeySchemaElement("Language", KeyType.HASH), new KeySchemaElement("Greeting", KeyType.RANGE)) .withProvisionedThroughput( new ProvisionedThroughput(new Long(10), new Long(10))) .withTableName(table_name); ``` See the [complete example](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples/blob/master/java/example_code/dynamodb/src/main/java/aws/example/dynamodb/CreateTableCompositeKey.java) on GitHub. ## List Tables You can list the tables in a particular region by calling the [DynamoDB client](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/AmazonDynamoDB.html)'s `listTables` method. **Note** If the named table doesn’t exist for your account and region, a [ResourceNotFoundException](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/model/ResourceNotFoundException.html) is thrown. **Imports** ``` import com.amazonaws.AmazonServiceException; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDB; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.ListTablesRequest; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.ListTablesResult; ``` **Code** ``` final AmazonDynamoDB ddb = AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder.defaultClient(); ListTablesRequest request; boolean more_tables = true; String last_name = null; while(more_tables) { try { if (last_name == null) { request = new ListTablesRequest().withLimit(10); } else { request = new ListTablesRequest() .withLimit(10) .withExclusiveStartTableName(last_name); } ListTablesResult table_list = ddb.listTables(request); List table_names = table_list.getTableNames(); if (table_names.size() > 0) { for (String cur_name : table_names) { System.out.format("* %s\n", cur_name); } } else { System.out.println("No tables found!"); System.exit(0); } last_name = table_list.getLastEvaluatedTableName(); if (last_name == null) { more_tables = false; } ``` By default, up to 100 tables are returned per call—​use `getLastEvaluatedTableName` on the returned [ListTablesResult](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSJavaSDK/latest/javadoc/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/model/ListTablesResult.html) object to get the last table that was evaluated. You can use this value to start the listing after the last returned value of the previous listing. See the [complete example](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples/blob/master/java/example_code/dynamodb/src/main/java/aws/example/dynamodb/ListTables.java) on GitHub. ## Describe (Get Information about) a Table Call the [DynamoDB client](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/AmazonDynamoDB.html)'s `describeTable` method. **Note** If the named table doesn’t exist for your account and region, a [ResourceNotFoundException](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/model/ResourceNotFoundException.html) is thrown. **Imports** ``` import com.amazonaws.AmazonServiceException; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDB; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.AttributeDefinition; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.ProvisionedThroughputDescription; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.TableDescription; ``` **Code** ``` final AmazonDynamoDB ddb = AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder.defaultClient(); try { TableDescription table_info = ddb.describeTable(table_name).getTable(); if (table_info != null) { System.out.format("Table name : %s\n", table_info.getTableName()); System.out.format("Table ARN : %s\n", table_info.getTableArn()); System.out.format("Status : %s\n", table_info.getTableStatus()); System.out.format("Item count : %d\n", table_info.getItemCount().longValue()); System.out.format("Size (bytes): %d\n", table_info.getTableSizeBytes().longValue()); ProvisionedThroughputDescription throughput_info = table_info.getProvisionedThroughput(); System.out.println("Throughput"); System.out.format(" Read Capacity : %d\n", throughput_info.getReadCapacityUnits().longValue()); System.out.format(" Write Capacity: %d\n", throughput_info.getWriteCapacityUnits().longValue()); List attributes = table_info.getAttributeDefinitions(); System.out.println("Attributes"); for (AttributeDefinition a : attributes) { System.out.format(" %s (%s)\n", a.getAttributeName(), a.getAttributeType()); } } } catch (AmazonServiceException e) { System.err.println(e.getErrorMessage()); System.exit(1); } ``` See the [complete example](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples/blob/master/java/example_code/dynamodb/src/main/java/aws/example/dynamodb/DescribeTable.java) on GitHub. ## Modify (Update) a Table You can modify your table’s provisioned throughput values at any time by calling the [DynamoDB client](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/AmazonDynamoDB.html)'s `updateTable` method. **Note** If the named table doesn’t exist for your account and region, a [ResourceNotFoundException](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/model/ResourceNotFoundException.html) is thrown. **Imports** ``` import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDB; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.ProvisionedThroughput; import com.amazonaws.AmazonServiceException; ``` **Code** ``` ProvisionedThroughput table_throughput = new ProvisionedThroughput( read_capacity, write_capacity); final AmazonDynamoDB ddb = AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder.defaultClient(); try { ddb.updateTable(table_name, table_throughput); } catch (AmazonServiceException e) { System.err.println(e.getErrorMessage()); System.exit(1); } ``` See the [complete example](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples/blob/master/java/example_code/dynamodb/src/main/java/aws/example/dynamodb/UpdateTable.java) on GitHub. ## Delete a Table Call the [DynamoDB client](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/AmazonDynamoDB.html)'s `deleteTable` method and pass it the table’s name. **Note** If the named table doesn’t exist for your account and region, a [ResourceNotFoundException](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/v1/reference/com/amazonaws/services/dynamodbv2/model/ResourceNotFoundException.html) is thrown. **Imports** ``` import com.amazonaws.AmazonServiceException; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDB; import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder; ``` **Code** ``` final AmazonDynamoDB ddb = AmazonDynamoDBClientBuilder.defaultClient(); try { ddb.deleteTable(table_name); } catch (AmazonServiceException e) { System.err.println(e.getErrorMessage()); System.exit(1); } ``` See the [complete example](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples/blob/master/java/example_code/dynamodb/src/main/java/aws/example/dynamodb/DeleteTable.java) on GitHub. ## More Info + [Guidelines for Working with Tables](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/GuidelinesForTables.html) in the Amazon DynamoDB Developer Guide + [Working with Tables in DynamoDB](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/WorkingWithTables.html) in the Amazon DynamoDB Developer Guide