What is the consequence of truncating a table?

Truncating a table is an operation that efficiently removes all rows from the table while keeping the structure of the table intact. This means that while all the data within the table is deleted, the table itself—along with its schema, including column definitions, constraints, and indexes—remains unchanged and can be reused for future data entries. This operation is usually faster than using a delete command for removing all records because it does not log individual row deletions or enforce any of the referential integrity constraints that might apply in the case of deleting rows one at a time.

The other options do not accurately describe the consequences of truncating a table. Creating a duplicate of the table without data does not occur when truncating, as truncation is designed solely to clear the data from an existing table, not to copy it. Additionally, truncating a table does not involve maintaining a log of deleted records; rather, it typically bypasses the logging mechanism used for individual deletes, making it a more efficient operation. Lastly, truncation usually does not require user confirmation in database systems; it is a straightforward command that executes immediately without prompts.