Skip to content

DELETE statement

The DELETE statement removes one or more rows from a table based on specified conditions. It allows developers to selectively delete data from a table, providing a way to manage and maintain the database by removing unnecessary or outdated records.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using DELETE Statement

Trade-offs Description
Advantages Allows selective removal of specific rows from a table, helping to maintain data integrity and manage database resources efficiently.
Can be combined with WHERE clause to delete rows that meet certain conditions, providing flexibility in data manipulation.
Provides a straightforward way to remove unwanted data without affecting the structure of the table or other related tables.
Disadvantages Deleting large amounts of data can impact performance and may require careful consideration to avoid unintended consequences.
Deletes are permanent and irreversible, so it’s crucial to double-check conditions and backup data before executing DELETE queries.

Syntax of DELETE Statement

The statement has the following options:

Option Description
DELETE FROM table_name This clause specifies the table from which you want to delete rows.
WHERE condition (Optional) This clause filters the rows to be deleted based on a specific condition. If omitted, all rows in the table will be deleted.

The syntax of the DELETE statement is as follows:

DELETE FROM table_name
[WHERE condition];

Example of DELETE Statement

This example deletes all rows from the orders table where the order_date is before January 1, 2023.

DELETE FROM orders
WHERE order_date < '2023-01-01';

Fundamental SQL links:

Get expert help

If you need assistance, visit the community forum for comprehensive and free database knowledge, or contact our Percona Database Experts for professional support and services.


Last update: 2024-06-21