Correcting the Syntax for MySQL DELETE Statement with LIMIT

When attempting to delete a range of rows from a MySQL table using a DELETE statement with a LIMIT clause, you may encounter an error if the syntax is incorrect. This error typically indicates that there is a problem with the syntax used to specify the limit.

The problem in the provided query is that you cannot specify an offset in the LIMIT clause of a DELETE statement. The syntax for using the LIMIT clause in a DELETE statement is LIMIT , without specifying an offset or a starting point.

To resolve this issue, you need to rewrite your query to specify the rows to be deleted more precisely. One way to do this is by using the IN clause to select the IDs of the rows you want to delete and then use those IDs to filter the rows in the DELETE statement.

Here's an example of how you can rewrite your query:

DELETE FROM `chat_messages` 
WHERE `id` IN (
    SELECT `id` FROM (
        SELECT `id` FROM `chat_messages`
        ORDER BY `timestamp` DESC
        LIMIT 20, 50
    ) AS `x`
)

In this query, we first use a subquery to select the IDs of the rows we want to delete. Then, we use the IN clause in the main DELETE statement to filter the rows based on those IDs, resulting in the deletion of the desired range of rows.

It's important to note that you may need to make adjustments to the query based on the specific structure of your table and the desired behavior.