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Part 3.4Removing data from tables

Part 3.4Removing data from tables

Removing data

SQL commands also allow for the deletion of a record in the database. This syntax is exactly the same as the UPDATE or SELECT statement except using the DELETE keyword.

For the this tutorial, the following table will be used again:

Product_ID type quantity
32 Apple 10
45 Orange 91
78 Apricots 25
141 Pear 34

It's very important that the WHERE clause is used in conjunction with the DELETE statement to restrict what data is removed. Following the same pattern as shown in the WHERE clause example with fruits, the following statement will remove all apples and pears which have a quantity less than 9.

SQL
DELETE FROM `fruits` WHERE (type="Apple" OR type="Pear") AND quantity < 9
		

Clearing a table

Sometimes it is necessary to clear an entire table. This can be done using a syntax similar to the SELECT * syntax:

SQL
DELETE * FROM `fruits`
		

However, SQL also permits the omission of the * here:

SQL
DELETE FROM `fruits`
		
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