🧑‍💼 Interviewer: What’s the difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE?

👨‍💻 Me: Both commands are used to remove data from a table, but they work differently:

🔹 DELETE 
– Removes rows one by one, based on a WHERE condition (optional). 
– Logs each row deletion, so it’s slower. 
– Can be rolled back if used within a transaction. 
– Triggers can fire on deletion.

🔹 TRUNCATE 
– Removes all rows instantly—no WHERE clause allowed. 
– Faster, uses minimal logging. 
– Cannot delete specific rows—it's all or nothing. 
– Usually can’t be rolled back in some databases.

🧪 Example:

-- DELETE only inactive users
DELETE FROM users WHERE status = 'inactive';

-- TRUNCATE entire users table
TRUNCATE TABLE users;

💡 Tip: Use DELETE when you need conditions. Use TRUNCATE for a quick full cleanup.

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