通过发出TRUNCATE TABLE语句，您将指示SQL Server删除表中的每条记录，而不进行任何日志记录或事务处理。

TRUNCATE是DDL语句，而DELETE是DML语句。以下是两者的区别:

As TRUNCATE is a DDL (Data definition language) statement it does not require a commit to make the changes permanent. And this is the reason why rows deleted by truncate could not be rollbacked. On the other hand DELETE is a DML (Data manipulation language) statement hence requires explicit commit to make its effect permanent. TRUNCATE always removes all the rows from a table, leaving the table empty and the table structure intact whereas DELETE may remove conditionally if the where clause is used. The rows deleted by TRUNCATE TABLE statement cannot be restored and you can not specify the where clause in the TRUNCATE statement. TRUNCATE statements does not fire triggers as opposed of on delete trigger on DELETE statement

这里有一个非常好的与主题相关的链接。

SQL server中删除与截断的总结 完整文章请点击这个链接:http://codaffection.com/sql-server-article/delete-vs-truncate-in-sql-server/

摘自dotnet mob文章:删除Vs截断SQL Server

对原始答案的一个小修正——删除也会产生大量的重做(因为undo本身是由重做保护的)。这可以从autotrace输出中看到:

SQL> delete from t1;

10918 rows deleted.

Elapsed: 00:00:00.58

Execution Plan
----------------------------------------------------------
   0      DELETE STATEMENT Optimizer=FIRST_ROWS (Cost=43 Card=1)
   1    0   DELETE OF 'T1'
   2    1     TABLE ACCESS (FULL) OF 'T1' (TABLE) (Cost=43 Card=1)




Statistics
----------------------------------------------------------
         30  recursive calls
      12118  db block gets
        213  consistent gets
        142  physical reads
    3975328  redo size
        441  bytes sent via SQL*Net to client
        537  bytes received via SQL*Net from client
          4  SQL*Net roundtrips to/from client
          2  sorts (memory)
          0  sorts (disk)
      10918  rows processed

是的，DELETE比较慢，TRUNCATE比较快。为什么?

DELETE必须读取记录，检查约束，更新块，更新索引，并生成重做/撤销。所有这些都需要时间。

TRUNCATE只是在数据库中为表(High Water Mark)调整一个指针，然后!数据不见了。

这是Oracle特有的，AFAIK。

truncate和delete的区别如下:

+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
|                Truncate                |                    Delete                    |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
| We can't Rollback after performing     | We can Rollback after delete.                |
| Truncate.                              |                                              |
|                                        |                                              |
| Example:                               | Example:                                     |
| BEGIN TRAN                             | BEGIN TRAN                                   |
| TRUNCATE TABLE tranTest                | DELETE FROM tranTest                         |
| SELECT * FROM tranTest                 | SELECT * FROM tranTest                       |
| ROLLBACK                               | ROLLBACK                                     |
| SELECT * FROM tranTest                 | SELECT * FROM tranTest                       |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
| Truncate reset identity of table.      | Delete does not reset identity of table.     |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
| It locks the entire table.             | It locks the table row.                      |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
| Its DDL(Data Definition Language)      | Its DML(Data Manipulation Language)          |
| command.                               | command.                                     |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
| We can't use WHERE clause with it.     | We can use WHERE to filter data to delete.   |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
| Trigger is not fired while truncate.   | Trigger is fired.                            |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
| Syntax :                               | Syntax :                                     |
| 1) TRUNCATE TABLE table_name           | 1) DELETE FROM table_name                    |
|                                        | 2) DELETE FROM table_name WHERE              |
|                                        |    example_column_id IN (1,2,3)              |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+