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Difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE

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DELETE is a DML(Data Manipulation Language) command and is used when we

specify the row(tuple) that we want to remove or delete from the table or relation.
The DELETE command can contain a WHERE clause. If the WHERE clause is used
with the DELETE command then it removes or deletes only those rows(tuple) that
satisfy the condition otherwise by default it removes all the tuples(rows) from the
table. Remember that DELETE logs the row deletions.

Syntax: DELETE command

DELETE FROM TableName

WHERE condition;

TRUNCATE is a DDL(Data Definition Language) command and is used to delete all

the rows or tuples from a table. Unlike the DELETE command, the TRUNCATE
command does not contain a WHERE clause. In the TRUNCATE command, the
transaction log for each deleted data page is not recorded. Unlike the DELETE
command, the TRUNCATE command is fast. We cannot roll back the data after
using the TRUNCATE command.

Syntax: TRUNCATE command

TRUNCATE TABLE TableName;

Let us see the difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE commands are as
follows:
 Delete Truncate

The DELETE command is used to While this command is used to delete all the
delete specified rows(one or more). rows from a table.

It is a DML(Data Manipulation While it is a DDL(Data Definition Language)

Language) command. command.

There may be a WHERE clause in

While there may not be WHERE clause in
the DELETE command in order to
the TRUNCATE command.
filter the records.

In the DELETE command, a tuple is While in this command, the data page is
locked before removing it. locked before removing the table data.

The DELETE statement removes TRUNCATE TABLE removes the data by

rows one at a time and records an deallocating the data pages used to store the
entry in the transaction log for each table data and records only the page
deleted row. deallocations in the transaction log.

DELETE command is slower than While the TRUNCATE command is faster

TRUNCATE command. than the DELETE command.

To use Delete you need DELETE To use Truncate on a table we need at least
permission on the table. ALTER permission on the table.

The identity of the fewer column

Identity the column is reset to its seed value
retains the identity after using
if the table contains an identity column.
DELETE Statement on the table.

The delete can be used with

Truncate cannot be used with indexed views.
indexed views.

This command can also active

This command does not active trigger.
trigger.
 Delete Truncate

DELETE statement occupies more Truncate statement occupies less transaction

transaction spaces than Truncate. spaces than DELETE.

Last Updated : 25 Aug, 2022 96

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Article Contributed By :

MKS075
MKS075
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Improved By : MKS075, gbothra38, kumarsanu805128, demishassabis, azamh64, priyansh70890

Article Tags : SQL-Clauses, DBMS, Difference Between, GATE CS, SQL

Practice Tags : DBMS, SQL

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