How do you remove data from a table in SQL?

The DELETE statement is specifically designed to remove rows from a table in SQL based on a specified condition. When you use the DELETE statement, you can target particular records by applying a WHERE clause, allowing for precise control over which data gets removed. For example, if you want to delete only users who are inactive, you can specify that condition in the WHERE clause, and only those rows will be deleted.

Another important aspect of the DELETE statement is that it can be executed multiple times and can be used within transactions, which means you can rollback changes if needed. This granularity makes it a common choice for managing data in relational databases.

In contrast, while the DROP statement is used to remove an entire table (along with all of its data) from the database, the TRUNCATE statement quickly removes all rows from a table without logging individual row deletions, meaning it cannot be used with a WHERE clause and does not allow for transaction control in the same way. The REMOVE statement does not exist in standard SQL. Therefore, the DELETE statement is the correct choice for selectively removing data from a table.