SQL DELETE Statement
The SQL DELETE statement is used to delete existing records from a table.
Syntax
DELETE FROM table_name WHERE condition;
- table_name: The name of the table from which you want to delete data.
- condition: The condition specifies which record or records that should be deleted from the table.
Example
Suppose we have a table named "employees" with the following data:
| ID | Name | Age | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Doe | 25 | 5000 |
| 2 | Jane Doe | 30 | 6000 |
| 3 | Mark Lee | 35 | 7000 |
The following SQL query will delete the record with ID = 2 from the employees table:
DELETE FROM employees WHERE ID = 2;
Output
After executing the above SQL query, the employees table will have the following data:
| ID | Name | Age | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Doe | 25 | 5000 |
| 3 | Mark Lee | 35 | 7000 |
Explanation
In the above example, the DELETE statement is used to delete the record with ID = 2. The WHERE clause specifies the condition that needs to be satisfied in order to delete a record from the employees table.
Use
- To delete unneeded or redundant data from a database.
- To remove specific records from a table based on some condition.
Important Points
- The DELETE statement removes only the data of the table, not the table itself.
- Always use caution when using DELETE statement as it can delete all the data from your table if not used correctly.
Summary
The SQL DELETE statement is used to delete records from a table that satisfy a specific condition. It is important to use DELETE statement with caution as it can delete all the data from your table if not used properly.