DROP and TRUNCATE both remove data, but at very different levels -- DROP deletes the table itself, structure and all, from the database, while TRUNCATE only empties the rows and leaves the table structure intact for future use.
Key Points: • DROP TABLE removes the table definition, its data, indexes, constraints, and triggers entirely. • TRUNCATE TABLE removes all rows but keeps the columns, data types, indexes, and constraints in place. • After a DROP, you would need to recreate the table from scratch to use it again; after a TRUNCATE, the empty table is immediately ready for new inserts. • Both are typically fast, minimally-logged operations compared to a row-by-row DELETE.
Example: If you no longer need an old "temp_import" table at all, you DROP it; if you just want to clear it out and reuse it for the next batch of imports, you TRUNCATE it instead.
Code Example:
DROP TABLE temp_import;
TRUNCATE TABLE temp_import;Interview Tip: A concise interview answer is:
"DROP removes the entire table, including its structure, indexes, and data, while TRUNCATE just clears out all the rows and leaves the table definition intact. I use DROP when a table is no longer needed at all, and TRUNCATE when I want to quickly reset a table for reuse."