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SQL-Delete vs Truncate vs Drop

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Difference between the DELETE vs TRUNCATE vs DROP

Feature	DELETE	TRUNCATE	DROP
Purpose	Used to remove specific rows or all rows from a table while retaining the table structure and its relationships.	Used to quickly remove all rows from a table while retaining its structure for future use.	Used to completely remove a table or other database object (e.g., a database, view, etc.), including its structure and data.
Condition Support	Supports a `WHERE` clause, allowing for deletion of specific rows.	Does not support a `WHERE` clause. It always removes all rows from the table.	Does not involve conditions. It removes the entire database object.
Structure Retention	Retains the table structure, constraints, and indexes, allowing the table to be reused.	Retains the table structure, constraints, and indexes but clears all data and resets identity columns to their seed value.	Does not retain the table structure or data; the object is permanently removed.
Logging	Fully logs each row deletion in the transaction log, which can impact performance for large datasets.	Performs a minimally logged operation, making it faster than DELETE for removing all rows.	No logging for individual rows as it removes the object itself.
Identity Reset	Does not reset the identity column values; the next insertion continues from the last value.	Resets the identity column to its seed value (if an identity column exists).	Not applicable as the table and its structure are removed.
Triggers Fired	Fires any `AFTER DELETE` or `INSTEAD OF DELETE` triggers defined on the table.	Does not fire triggers because it does not perform row-level operations.	Does not fire triggers since the object is deleted at the schema level.
Foreign Key Restriction	Can delete rows from a table referenced by a foreign key, but requires careful management to maintain referential integrity.	Cannot be used on a table that is referenced by a foreign key constraint.	Cannot drop a table that is referenced by a foreign key constraint unless the constraint is dropped first.
Performance	Slower for large datasets due to row-by-row deletion and logging.	Faster than DELETE for removing all rows because it is minimally logged.	Fastest for removing objects since it removes the schema object directly.
Rollback Possible	Can be rolled back if used within an explicit transaction.	Can only be rolled back if used within an explicit transaction.	Cannot be rolled back once executed.
Use Case	When you need to delete specific rows from a table. - When triggers need to be executed.	When you need to quickly remove all data from a table but keep its structure intact for reuse.	When you no longer need a table or other object in the database and want to free up space or avoid confusion from unused objects.
Example Syntax	`DELETE FROM TableName WHERE Condition DELETE FROM TableName; -- To delete all rows`	`TRUNCATE TABLE TableName;`	`DROP TABLE TableName; DROP DATABASE DatabaseName;`

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