- <refentry id="SQL-DELETE">
- <refmeta>
- <refentrytitle>
- DELETE
- </refentrytitle>
- <refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
- </refmeta>
- <refnamediv>
- <refname>
- DELETE
- </refname>
- <refpurpose>
- Deletes rows from a table
- </refpurpose>
- </refnamediv>
- <refsynopsisdiv>
- <refsynopsisdivinfo>
- <date>1998-04-15</date>
- </refsynopsisdivinfo>
- <synopsis>
- DELETE FROM <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable> [ WHERE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">condition</replaceable> ]
- </synopsis>
- <refsect2 id="R2-SQL-DELETE-1">
- <refsect2info>
- <date>1998-04-15</date>
- </refsect2info>
- <title>
- Inputs
- </title>
- <para>
- <variablelist>
- <varlistentry>
- <term><replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable></term>
- <listitem>
- <para>
- The name of an existing table.
- </para>
- </listitem>
- </varlistentry>
- <varlistentry>
- <term><replaceable class="parameter">condition</replaceable></term>
- <listitem>
- <para>
- This is an SQL selection query which returns the rows which
- are to be deleted.
- </para>
- <para>
- Refer to the SELECT statement for further description
- of the WHERE clause.
- </para>
- </listitem>
- </varlistentry>
- </variablelist>
- </para>
- </refsect2>
- <refsect2 id="R2-SQL-DELETE-2">
- <refsect2info>
- <date>1998-04-15</date>
- </refsect2info>
- <title>
- Outputs
- </title>
- <para>
- <variablelist>
- <varlistentry>
- <term><computeroutput>
- DELETE <replaceable class="parameter">count</replaceable>
- </computeroutput></term>
- <listitem>
- <para>
- Message returned if items are successfully deleted. The
- <replaceable class="parameter">count</replaceable> is the number
- of rows deleted.
- </para>
- <para>
- If <replaceable class="parameter">count</replaceable> is 0,
- no rows were deleted.
- </para>
- </listitem>
- </varlistentry>
- </variablelist>
- </para>
- </refsect2>
- </refsynopsisdiv>
- <refsect1 id="R1-SQL-DELETE-1">
- <refsect1info>
- <date>1998-04-15</date>
- </refsect1info>
- <title>
- Description
- </title>
- <para>
- <command>DELETE</command> removes rows which satisfy the WHERE
- clause from the specified table.
- </para>
- <para>
- If the <firstterm>condition</firstterm> (WHERE clause) is absent,
- the effect is to delete all rows in the table.
- The result is a valid, but empty table.
- </para>
- <para>
- You must have write access to the table in order to modify
- it, as well as read access to any table whose values are
- read in the <replaceable class="parameter">condition</replaceable>.
- </para>
- </refsect1>
- <refsect1 id="R1-SQL-DELETE-2">
- <title>
- Usage
- </title>
- <para>
- Remove all films but musicals:
- <programlisting>
- DELETE FROM films WHERE kind <> 'Musical';
- SELECT * FROM films;
- code |title |did| date_prod|kind |len
- -----+-------------------------+---+----------+----------+------
- UA501|West Side Story |105|1961-01-03|Musical | 02:32
- TC901|The King and I |109|1956-08-11|Musical | 02:13
- WD101|Bed Knobs and Broomsticks|111| |Musical | 01:57
- (3 rows)
- </programlisting>
- </para>
- <para>
- Clear the table <literal>films</literal>:
- <programlisting>
- DELETE FROM films;
- SELECT * FROM films;
- code|title|did|date_prod|kind|len
- ----+-----+---+---------+----+---
- (0 rows)
- </programlisting>
- </para>
- </refsect1>
- <refsect1 id="R1-SQL-DELETE-3">
- <title>
- Compatibility
- </title>
- <para>
- </para>
- <refsect2 id="R2-SQL-DELETE-4">
- <refsect2info>
- <date>1998-04-15</date>
- </refsect2info>
- <title>
- SQL92
- </title>
- <para>
- <acronym>SQL92</acronym> allows a positioned DELETE statement:
- <synopsis>
- DELETE FROM <replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable> WHERE
- CURRENT OF <replaceable class="parameter">cursor</replaceable>
- </synopsis>
- where <replaceable class="parameter">cursor</replaceable>
- identifies an open cursor.
- Interactive cursors in <productname>Postgres</productname> are read-only.
- </para>
- </refsect2>
- </refsect1>
- </refentry>
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