DF035: The DELETE statement is used without the limiting clauses.

Last modified: December 25, 2024

The topic describes the DF035 T-SQL code analysis rule.

Category

BEST PRACTICE

Message

The DELETE statement is used without the limiting clauses.

Description

The DELETE statement without the row limiting conditions (WHERE or JOIN clauses) may lead to unexpected data loss.

Additional information

Without these conditions, the DELETE statement removes all rows from the specified table, which can result in the deletion of important data. It’s important to include appropriate conditions in the DELETE statement to ensure that only the intended rows are deleted. This helps prevent accidental data loss and maintains data integrity within the database.

Noncompliant code example

DELETE FROM dbo.Employee;

Compliant solution

DELETE FROM dbo.Employee WHERE EmployeeId = 12;