How to Delete Some Million Rows In Postgresql?

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To delete a large number of rows in PostgreSQL, you can use the following approach:

  1. Identify the rows you want to delete using a specific condition in a WHERE clause of a DELETE statement.
  2. Use the DELETE statement to remove the identified rows. For example: DELETE FROM table_name WHERE condition;


Keep in mind that deleting a large number of rows can be resource-intensive and may impact the performance of your database. It is recommended to perform such operations during off-peak hours to minimize disruption to other users. Additionally, consider creating a backup of your data before performing the deletion in case you need to restore the data later.


How to delete rows from multiple tables in postgresql?

To delete rows from multiple tables in PostgreSQL, you can use the DELETE statement with a JOIN clause to specify which tables and rows you want to delete. Here's an example of how you can delete rows from two tables:

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DELETE FROM table1, table2
USING table1 
JOIN table2 
ON table1.column1 = table2.column2
WHERE condition;


In this example, you would replace table1, table2, column1, column2, and condition with the actual table names, column names, and where clause condition that you want to use to delete the rows.


Make sure to be careful when using the DELETE statement as it permanently removes the selected rows from the tables. It's always a good practice to backup your data before performing any deletion operations.


What is the relationship between cascading deletes and foreign keys in postgresql?

In PostgreSQL, the relationship between cascading deletes and foreign keys is that cascading deletes is a referential action that can be defined on a foreign key constraint.


When a foreign key constraint is defined with the option of cascading deletes, it means that if a row in the parent table (referenced table) is deleted, all corresponding rows in the child table (referencing table) will also be automatically deleted. This ensures referential integrity and prevents orphaned records in the child table.


Therefore, cascading deletes and foreign keys work together to enforce referential integrity and maintain the relationship between related tables in a database.


What is the maximum number of rows that can be deleted in one operation in postgresql?

In PostgreSQL, the maximum number of rows that can be deleted in one operation is limited by the memory available on your system. There is no specific limit imposed by PostgreSQL itself. However, deleting a very large number of rows in a single operation can be resource-intensive and may impact the performance of your database and system. It is recommended to batch the deletion operation into smaller chunks if you need to delete a large number of rows.


What is the fastest way to delete rows in postgresql?

The fastest way to delete rows in PostgreSQL is to use the TRUNCATE command. The TRUNCATE command is much faster than using the DELETE command because it does not scan and remove rows one by one, but rather directly removes all data from the specified table. However, it is important to note that using the TRUNCATE command will also reset any auto-incremented IDs and cannot be used on tables with foreign key constraints. If you need to specifically delete certain rows based on conditions or constraints, then using the DELETE command with appropriate indexing and WHERE clauses would be the fastest way.


What is the difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE in postgresql?

In PostgreSQL:

  1. DELETE:
  • DELETE is a DML (Data Manipulation Language) statement used to remove rows from a table that meets a specific condition.
  • DELETE statement can be used with WHERE clause to delete specific rows or without WHERE clause to delete all rows from a table.
  • DELETE operations are slower compared to TRUNCATE as it requires performing operations like writing to the write-ahead log.
  • DELETE statement can be rolled back using ROLLBACK command.
  1. TRUNCATE:
  • TRUNCATE is a DDL (Data Definition Language) statement used to remove all rows from a table without actually deleting the table structure.
  • TRUNCATE removes all data from a table and resets any associated sequences back to their starting values.
  • TRUNCATE operation is faster compared to DELETE as it does not require scanning each row before deleting.
  • TRUNCATE operation cannot be rolled back as it is a non-transactional operation.


In summary, DELETE is used to delete specific rows from a table with options to rollback the operation, while TRUNCATE is used to remove all rows from a table quickly but cannot be rolled back.

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