Business Analyst: What is a SQL DELETE statement?

DELETE — remove rows from a table.

Syntax:

1-- Delete specific rows
2DELETE FROM orders
3WHERE status = 'cancelled';
4
5-- Delete all rows
6DELETE FROM temp_data;
7-- or
8TRUNCATE TABLE temp_data;

DELETE vs TRUNCATE:

• DELETE — row by row, logged, can rollback.
• TRUNCATE — all at once, faster, minimal logging.

Warning: Always use WHERE clause!

1-- DANGER: Deletes ALL rows
2DELETE FROM customers;

BA relevance:

• Understand data lifecycle.
• Write retention requirements.
• Data governance.