diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/truncate.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/truncate.sgml index 79ed75b4999713919772d692e01755cb04a02692..271d16af03e5082d590fb1c9d5ef9bb561093a49 100644 --- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/truncate.sgml +++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/truncate.sgml @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ <!-- -$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/truncate.sgml,v 1.22 2007/01/31 23:26:04 momjian Exp $ +$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/truncate.sgml,v 1.23 2007/04/07 17:12:15 tgl Exp $ PostgreSQL documentation --> @@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ TRUNCATE [ TABLE ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable> [, ...] [ C <command>TRUNCATE</command> quickly removes all rows from a set of tables. It has the same effect as an unqualified <command>DELETE</command> on each table, but since it does not actually - scan the tables it is faster. This is most useful on large tables. + scan the tables it is faster; furthermore it reclaims disk space + immediately, rather than requiring a subsequent vacuum operation. + This is most useful on large tables. </para> </refsect1> @@ -92,6 +94,27 @@ TRUNCATE [ TABLE ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">name</replaceable> [, ...] [ C <command>TRUNCATE</> will not run any user-defined <literal>ON DELETE</literal> triggers that might exist for the tables. </para> + + <para> + <command>TRUNCATE</> is not MVCC-safe (see <xref linkend="mvcc"> + for general information about MVCC). After truncation, the table + will appear empty to all concurrent transactions, even if they are + using a snapshot taken before the truncation occurred. This will + only be an issue for a transaction that did not touch the table + before the truncation started — any transaction that has done + so would hold at least <literal>ACCESS SHARE</literal> lock, + which would block + <command>TRUNCATE</> until that transaction completes. So + truncation will not cause any apparent inconsistency in the table + contents for successive queries on the same table, but it could + cause visible inconsistency between the contents of the + truncated table and other tables. + </para> + + <para> + <command>TRUNCATE</> is transaction-safe, however: the truncation + will roll back if the surrounding transaction does not commit. + </para> </refsect1> <refsect1>