Deleting duplicate record from table - SQL query

Question

I need to delete duplicate rows only from the table, like I have 3 duplicate rows in the table, my query will delete 2 rows from 3 duplicated rows.

How can I get this? P

Answer 1

  -- Just to demonstrates Marks example          
    . 
        -- START === 1.0.dbo..DuplicatesTable.TableCreate.sql
    /****** Object:  Table [dbo].[DuplicatesTable] 
        Script Date: 03/29/2010 21:24:02 ******/
      IF EXISTS (SELECT * FROM sys.objects 
     WHERE 
object_id = OBJECT_ID(N'[dbo].[DuplicatesTable]') 
AND type in (N'U'))
        DROP TABLE [dbo].[DuplicatesTable]
    GO

    /****** Object:  Table [dbo].[DuplicatesTable]    
Script Date: 03/29/2010 21:24:02 ******/
    SET ANSI_NULLS ON
    GO

    SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
    GO

    CREATE TABLE [dbo].[DuplicatesTable](
        [ColA] [varchar](10) NOT NULL, -- the name of the DuplicatesTable
        [ColB] [varchar](10) NULL,  -- the description of the e DuplicatesTable 
     ) 


    /* 
     
    Models a DuplicatesTable for 
    

    */


    GO


    --============================================================ DuplicatesTable START
    declare @ScriptFileName varchar(2000)
    SELECT @ScriptFileName = '$(ScriptFileName)'
    SELECT @ScriptFileName + ' --- DuplicatesTable START =========================================' 
    declare @TableName varchar(200)
    select @TableName = 'DuplicatesTable'

    SELECT 'SELECT name from sys.tables where name =''' + @TableName + ''''
    SELECT name from sys.tables 
    where name = @TableName

    DECLARE @TableCount INT 
    SELECT @TableCount  = COUNT(name ) from sys.tables 
        where name =@TableName

    if @TableCount=1
    SELECT ' DuplicatesTable PASSED. The Table ' + @TableName + ' EXISTS ' 
    ELSE 
    SELECT ' DuplicatesTable FAILED. The Table ' + @TableName + ' DOES NOT EXIST ' 
    SELECT @ScriptFileName + ' --- DuplicatesTable END =========================================' 
    --============================================================ DuplicatesTable END

    GO


    -- END ===  1.0.dbo..DuplicatesTable.TableCreate.sql

    . 
    -- START === 1.1..dbo..DuplicatesTable.TableInsert.sql

    BEGIN TRANSACTION;
    INSERT INTO [dbo].[DuplicatesTable]([ColA], [ColB])
    SELECT   N'ColA', N'ColB' UNION ALL
    SELECT N'ColA', N'ColB' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA', N'ColB' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA', N'ColB' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA', N'ColB' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA', N'ColB' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA', N'ColB' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA1', N'ColB1' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA1', N'ColB1' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA1', N'ColB1' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA1', N'ColB1' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA1', N'ColB1' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA1', N'ColB1' UNION ALL
    SELECT  N'ColA1', N'ColB1'
    COMMIT;
    RAISERROR (N'[dbo].[DuplicatesTable]: Insert Batch: 1.....Done!', 10, 1) WITH NOWAIT;
    GO


    -- END ===  1.1..dbo..DuplicatesTable.TableInsert.sql

    . 
    -- START === 2.0.RemoveDuplicates.Script.sql
    ALTER TABLE dbo.DuplicatesTable ADD
            DuplicatesTableId int NOT NULL IDENTITY (1, 1)
    GO

    -- Then the delete is trivial:
    DELETE FROM dbo.DuplicatesTable WHERE DuplicatesTableId NOT IN 
         (SELECT MAX(DuplicatesTableId) FROM dbo.DuplicatesTable GROUP BY ColA , ColB)

         Select * from DuplicatesTable ;  
    -- END ===  2.0.RemoveDuplicates.Script.sql