TRUNCATE

Purpose

Use the TRUNCATE statement to remove all rows from a table or cluster. By default, Oracle also deallocates all space used by the removed rows except that specified by the MINEXTENTS storage parameter and sets the NEXT storage parameter to the size of the last extent removed from the segment by the truncation process.

Removing rows with the TRUNCATE statement can be more efficient than dropping and re-creating a table. Dropping and re-creating a table invalidates the table's dependent objects, requires you to regrant object privileges on the table, and requires you to re-create the table's indexes, integrity constraints, and triggers and respecify its storage parameters. Truncating has none of these effects.

Prerequisites

To truncate a table or cluster, the table or cluster must be in your schema or you must have DROP ANY TABLE system privilege.

Syntax

truncate::=

Text description of truncate

Semantics

TABLE Clause

Specify the schema and name of the table to be truncated. This table cannot be part of a cluster. If you omit schema, then Oracle assumes the table is in your own cluster.

• You can truncate index-organized tables and temporary tables. When you truncate a temporary table, only the rows created during the current session are removed.
• Oracle changes the NEXT storage parameter of table to be the size of the last extent deleted from the segment in the process of truncation.
• Oracle also automatically truncates and resets any existing UNUSABLE indicators for the following indexes on table: range and hash partitions of local indexes and subpartitions of local indexes.
• If table is not empty, then Oracle marks UNUSABLE all nonpartitioned indexes and all partitions of global partitioned indexes on the table.
• For a domain index, this statement invokes the appropriate truncate routine to truncate the domain index data.

  See Also: Oracle9i Data Cartridge Developer's Guide for more information on domain indexes

• If table (whether it is a regular or index-organized table) contains LOB columns, then all LOB data and LOB index segments are truncated.
• If table is partitioned, then all partitions or subpartitions, as well as the LOB data and LOB index segments for each partition or subpartition, are truncated.

  Note: When you truncate a table, Oracle automatically removes all data in the table's indexes and any materialized view direct-path INSERT information held in association with the table. (This information is independent of any materialized view log.) If this direct-path INSERT information is removed, then an incremental refresh of the materialized view may lose data.

Restrictions on Truncating Tables

• You cannot individually truncate a table that is part of a cluster. You must either truncate the cluster, delete all rows from the table, or drop and re-create the table.
• You cannot truncate the parent table of an enabled referential integrity constraint. You must disable the constraint before truncating the table. (An exception is that you may truncate the table if the integrity constraint is self-referential.)
• If table belongs to a hierarchy, then it must be the root of the hierarchy.
• If a domain index is defined on table, then neither the index nor any index partitions can be marked IN_PROGRESS.

MATERIALIZED VIEW LOG Clause

The MATERIALIZED VIEW LOG clause lets you specify whether a materialized view log defined on the table is to be preserved or purged when the table is truncated. This clause permits materialized view master tables to be reorganized through export/import without affecting the ability of primary-key materialized views defined on the master to be fast refreshed. To support continued fast refresh of primary-key materialized views, the materialized view log must record primary-key information.

PRESERVE

Specify PRESERVE if any materialized view log should be preserved when the master table is truncated. This is the default.

PURGE

Specify PURGE if any materialized view log should be purged when the master table is truncated.

CLUSTER Clause

Specify the schema and name of the cluster to be truncated. You can truncate only an indexed cluster, not a hash cluster. If you omit schema, then Oracle assumes the cluster is in your own schema.

When you truncate a cluster, Oracle also automatically deletes all data in the indexes of the cluster tables.

STORAGE Clauses

The STORAGE clauses let you determine what happens to the space freed by the truncated rows. The DROP STORAGE clause and REUSE STORAGE clause also apply to the space freed by the data deleted from associated indexes.

DROP STORAGE

Specify DROP STORAGE to deallocate all space from the deleted rows from the table or cluster except the space allocated by the MINEXTENTS parameter of the table or cluster. This space can subsequently be used by other objects in the tablespace. Oracle also sets the NEXT storage parameter to the size of the last extent removed from the segment in the truncation process. This is the default.

REUSE STORAGE

Specify REUSE STORAGE to retain the space from the deleted rows allocated to the table or cluster. Storage values are not reset to the values when the table or cluster was created. This space can subsequently be used only by new data in the table or cluster resulting from insert or update operations. This clause leaves storage parameters at their current settings.

Examples

Truncating a Table: Example

The following statement removes all rows from a copy of the sample table hr.employees and returns the freed space to the tablespace containing employees:

TRUNCATE TABLE employees_demo; 

The preceding statement also removes all data from all indexes on employees and returns the freed space to the tablespaces containing them.

Retaining Free Space After Truncate: Example

The following statement removes all rows from all tables in the personnel cluster, but leaves the freed space allocated to the tables:

TRUNCATE CLUSTER personnel REUSE STORAGE;

The preceding statement also removes all data from all indexes on the tables in the personnel cluster.

Preserving Materialized View Logs After Truncate: Example

The following statements are examples of truncate statements that preserve materialized view logs:

TRUNCATE TABLE sales_demo PRESERVE MATERIALIZED VIEW LOG; 

TRUNCATE TABLE orders_demo;