Deletes one or more files from a mass storage disk volume.
Requires delete (D) access to the file and write (W) access to
the parent directory.
Format
DELETE filespec[,...]
1 – Parameter
filespec[,...]
Specifies the names of one or more files to be deleted from a
mass storage disk volume. The first file specification must
contain an explicit or default directory specification plus an
explicit file name, file type, and version number. Subsequent
file specifications need contain only a version number; the
defaults will come from the preceding specification. The asterisk
(*) and the percent sign (%) wildcard characters can be used in
any of the file specification fields.
If you omit the directory specification or device name, the
current default device and directory are assumed.
If the file specification contains a null version number (a
semicolon (;) followed by no file version number), a version
number of 0, or one or more spaces in the version number, the
latest version of the file is deleted.
If an input-file specification parameter is a symbolic link, the
symbolic link itself is deleted.
To delete more than one file, separate the file specifications
with either commas (,) or plus signs (+).
2 – Qualifiers
2.1 /BACKUP
Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the
/SINCE qualifier. The /BACKUP qualifier selects files according
to the dates of their most recent backups. This qualifier
is incompatible with the /CREATED, /EXPIRED, and /MODIFIED
qualifiers, which also allow you to select files according
to time attributes. If you specify none of these four time
qualifiers, the default is the /CREATED qualifier.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.2 /BEFORE
/BEFORE[=time]
Selects only those files dated prior to the specified time. You
can specify time as absolute time, as a combination of absolute
and delta times, or as one of the following keywords: BOOT,
LOGIN, TODAY (default), TOMORROW, or YESTERDAY. Specify one of
the following qualifiers with the /BEFORE qualifier to indicate
the time attribute to be used as the basis for selection:
/BACKUP, /CREATED (default), /EXPIRED, or /MODIFIED.
For complete information on specifying time values, see the
OpenVMS User's Manual or the online help topic Date.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.3 /BY_OWNER
/BY_OWNER[=uic]
Selects only those files whose owner user identification code
(UIC) matches the specified owner UIC. The default UIC is that of
the current process.
Specify the UIC by using standard UIC format as described in the
VSI OpenVMS Guide to System Security.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.4 /CONFIRM
/CONFIRM
/NOCONFIRM (default)
Controls whether a request is issued before each delete operation
to confirm that the operation should be performed on that file.
The following responses are valid:
YES NO QUIT
TRUE FALSE Ctrl/Z
1 0 ALL
<Return>
You can use any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters
for word responses. Word responses can be abbreviated to one or
more letters (for example, T, TR, or TRU for TRUE), but these
abbreviations must be unique. Affirmative answers are YES, TRUE,
and 1. Negative answers include: NO, FALSE, 0, and pressing
Return. Entering QUIT or pressing Ctrl/Z indicates that you want
to stop processing the command at that point. When you respond by
entering ALL, the command continues to process, but no further
prompts are given. If you type a response other than one of
those in the list, DCL issues an error message and redisplays
the prompt.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.5 /CREATED
/CREATED (default)
Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
qualifier. The /CREATED qualifier selects files based on their
dates of creation. This qualifier is incompatible with the
/BACKUP, /EXPIRED, and /MODIFIED qualifiers, which also allow
you to select files according to time attributes. If you specify
none of these four time qualifiers, the default is the /CREATED
qualifier.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.6 /ERASE
/ERASE
/NOERASE (default)
When you delete a file, the area in which the file was stored is
returned to the system for future use. The data that was stored
in that location still exists in the system until new data is
written over it. When you specify the /ERASE qualifier, the
storage location is overwritten with a system specified pattern
so that the data no longer exists.
2.7 /EXCLUDE
/EXCLUDE=(filespec[,...])
Excludes the specified files from the delete operation. You can
include a directory but not a device in the file specification.
The asterisk (*) and the percent sign (%) wildcard characters
are allowed in the file specification. However, you cannot use
relative version numbers to exclude a specific version. If you
specify only one file, you can omit the parentheses.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.8 /EXPIRED
Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
qualifier. The /EXPIRED qualifier selects files according to
their expiration dates. (The expiration date is set with the
SET FILE/EXPIRATION_DATE command.) The /EXPIRED qualifier
is incompatible with the /BACKUP, /CREATED, and /MODIFIED
qualifiers, which also allow you to select files according
to time attributes. If you specify none of these four time
qualifiers, the default is the /CREATED qualifier.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.9 /GRAND_TOTAL
/GRAND_TOTAL (Alpha/Integrity servers only)
Displays the total number of files and blocks or bytes deleted.
The display is shown as blocks or bytes depending on the current
default setting. You can use SHOW PROCESS/UNITS to display the
current default. To change the default, execute the DCL command
SET PROCESS/UNITS=BYTES or SET PROCESS/UNITS=BLOCKS.
2.10 /IGNORE
/IGNORE=INTERLOCK (Alpha/Integrity servers only)
Allows you to mark a write-accessed file for deletion. This
removes the file name entry, and the file is deleted when it
is closed by the final user.
2.11 /LOG
/LOG
/NOLOG (default)
Controls whether the DELETE command displays the file
specification of each file after its deletion.
2.12 /MODIFIED
Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
qualifier. The /MODIFIED qualifier selects files according to
the dates on which they were last modified. This qualifier
is incompatible with the /BACKUP, /CREATED, and /EXPIRED
qualifiers, which also allow you to select files according
to time attributes. If you specify none of these four time
modifiers, the default is the /CREATED qualifier.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.13 /SINCE
/SINCE[=time]
Selects only those files dated on or after the specified time.
You can specify time as absolute time, as a combination of
absolute and delta times, or as one of the following keywords:
BOOT, JOB_LOGIN, LOGIN, TODAY (default), TOMORROW, or YESTERDAY.
Specify one of the following qualifiers with the /SINCE qualifier
to indicate the time attribute to be used as the basis for
selection: /BACKUP, /CREATED (default), /EXPIRED, or /MODIFIED.
For complete information about specifying time values, see the
OpenVMS User's Manual or the online help topic Date.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.14 /STYLE
/STYLE=keyword
Specifies the file name format for display purposes while
deleting files.
The valid keywords for this qualifier are CONDENSED and EXPANDED.
Descriptions are as follows:
Keyword Explanation
CONDENSED Displays the file name representation of what is
(default) generated to fit into a 255-length character string.
This file name may contain a DID or a FID in the file
specification.
EXPANDED Displays the file name representation of what is
stored on disk. This file name does not contain any
DID or FID abbreviations.
The keywords CONDENSED and EXPANDED are mutually exclusive. This
qualifier specifies which file name format is displayed in the
output message, along with the confirmation if requested.
File errors are displayed with the CONDENSED file specification
unless the EXPANDED keyword is specified.
See the OpenVMS User's Manual for more information.
2.15 /SYMLINK
/SYMLINK=keyword
The valid keywords for this qualifier are [NO]WILDCARD and
[NO]ELLIPSIS. Descriptions are as follows:
Keyword Explanation
WILDCARD Indicates that symlinks are enabled during wildcard
searches.
NOWILDCARD Indicates that symlinks are disabled during directory
wildcard searches.
ELLIPSIS Equivalent to WILDCARD (included for command
symmetry).
NOELLIPSIS Indicates that symlinks are matched for all wildcard
fields except for ellipsis.
If the file named in the DELETE command is a symlink, the command
operates on the symlink itself.
NOTE
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an
error.
2.16 /TREE
Recursively deletes all files and sub directories excluding the
parent directory.
You can specify only the following qualifiers with the /TREE
qualifier:
/ERASE /GRAND_ /IGNORE /LOG
TOTAL
/STYLE
NOTE
If DELETE/TREE command finds a symbolic link file, then only
the symbolic link file is deleted. The symbolic link file cannot
be traversed. This behavior is true for all the values of symbolic
link search mode, namely, [NO]WILDCARD and [NO]ELLIPSIS.
3 – Examples
1.$ DELETE COMMON.SUM;2
The DELETE command deletes the file COMMON.SUM;2 from the
current default disk and directory.
2.$ DELETE *.OLD;*
The DELETE command deletes all versions of files with file type
.OLD from the default disk directory.
3.$ DELETE ALPHA.TXT;*, BETA;*, GAMMA;*
The DELETE command deletes all versions of the files ALPHA.TXT,
BETA.TXT, and GAMMA.TXT. The command uses the file type of the
first input file as a temporary default. Note, however, that
some form of version number (here specified as the asterisk
(*) wildcards) must be included in each file specification.
4.$ DELETE /BEFORE=15-APR/LOG *.DAT;*
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, DISK2:[MAIN]ASSIGN.DAT;1 deleted (5 block)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, DISK2:[MAIN]BATCHAVE.DAT;3 deleted (4 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, DISK2:[MAIN]BATCHAVE.DAT;2 deleted (4 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, DISK2:[MAIN]BATCHAVE.DAT;1 deleted (4 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, DISK2:[MAIN]CANCEL.DAT;1 deleted (2 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, DISK2:[MAIN]DEFINE.DAT;1 deleted (3 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, DISK2:[MAIN]EXIT.DAT;1 deleted (1 block)
%DELETE-I-TOTAL, 7 files deleted (23 blocks)
The DELETE command deletes all versions of all files with file
type .DAT that were either created or updated before April 15
of this year. The /LOG qualifier not only displays the name of
each file deleted, but also the total number of files deleted.
5.$ DELETE A.B;
The DELETE command deletes the file A.B with the highest
version number.
6.$ DELETE/CONFIRM/SINCE=TODAY [MEIER.TESTFILES]*.OBJ;*
DISK0:[MEIER.TESTFILES]AVERAG.OBJ;1, delete? [N]:Y
DISK0:[MEIER.TESTFILES]SCANLINE.OBJ;4, delete? [N]:N
DISK0:[MEIER.TESTFILES]SCANLINE.OBJ;3, delete? [N]:N
DISK0:[MEIER.TESTFILES]SCANLINE.OBJ;2, delete? [N]:N
DISK0:[MEIER.TESTFILES]WEATHER.OBJ;3, delete? [N]:Y
The DELETE command examines all versions of files with file
type .OBJ in the subdirectory [MEIER.TESTFILES], and locates
those that were created or modified today. Before deleting each
file, it requests confirmation that the file should be deleted.
The default response-N-is given in brackets.
7.$ DIRECTORY [.SUBTEST]
%DIRECT-W-NOFILES, no files found
$ SET SECURITY/PROTECTION=(OWNER:DELETE) SUBTEST.DIR
$ DELETE SUBTEST.DIR;1
Before the directory file SUBTEST.DIR is deleted, the DIRECTORY
command is used to verify that there are no files cataloged in
the directory. The SET SECURITY/PROTECTION command redefines
the protection for the directory file so that it can be
deleted; then the DELETE command deletes it.
8.$ DELETE DALLAS"THOMAS SECRET"::DISK0:[000,000]DECODE.LIS;1
This DELETE command deletes the file DECODE.LIS;1 from the
directory [000,000] on device DISK0 at remote node DALLAS. The
user name and password follow the remote node name.
9.$ DELETE NODE12::"DISK1:DEAL.BIG"
$ DELETE NODE12::DISK1:DEAL.BIG;
Either of these DELETE commands can be used to delete the file
DEAL.BIG on device ZZZ1 at remote node NODE12. Note that the
DELETE command requires an explicit version number in a file
specification, but the file to be deleted is on a remote node
whose file syntax does not recognize version numbers. (NODE12
is an RT-11 node.) Therefore, the file specification must
either be enclosed in quotation marks (" ") or entered with
a null version number (that is, a trailing semicolon [;]).
10$ DELETE/GRAND_TOTAL *.txt;*
%DELETE-I-TOTAL, 61 files deleted (274KB)
The output display in this example shows that 61 files were
deleted for a total of 274KB. The process is currently set to
display file sizes in bytes. To change future displays to show
blocks, use the SET PROCESS/UNITS=BLOCKS command.
11$ DELETE/TREE $5$DKA100:[HOOPS...]*.*;*/LOG
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, $5$DKA100:[HOOPS]SMG_HP.EXE;2 deleted (32 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, $5$DKA100:[HOOPS]TESTMSG.exe;4 deleted (32 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, $5$DKA100:[HOOPS.DTM.EXAMPLES]TERMTABLE.TXT;1 deleted (16 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, $5$DKA100:[HOOPS.DTM]EXAMPLES.DIR;1 deleted (16 blocks)
%DELETE-I-FILDEL, $5$DKA100:[HOOPS]DTM.DIR;1 deleted (16 blocks)
%DELETE-I-TOTAL, 5 files deleted (112 blocks)
$
The DELETE/TREE command deletes all the files and sub
directories recursively excluding the parent directory.