postgresql/doc/src/sgml/ref/delete.sgml
2003-04-26 23:56:51 +00:00

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$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/delete.sgml,v 1.17 2003/04/26 23:56:51 petere Exp $
PostgreSQL documentation
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<refentry id="SQL-DELETE">
<refmeta>
<refentrytitle id="SQL-DELETE-TITLE">DELETE</refentrytitle>
<refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
<refname>DELETE</refname>
<refpurpose>delete rows of a table</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>
<refsynopsisdiv>
<synopsis>
DELETE FROM [ ONLY ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">table</replaceable> [ WHERE <replaceable class="PARAMETER">condition</replaceable> ]
</synopsis>
</refsynopsisdiv>
<refsect1>
<title>Description</title>
<para>
<command>DELETE</command> deletes rows that satisfy the
<literal>WHERE</literal> clause from the specified table. If the
<literal>WHERE</literal> clause is absent, the effect is to delete
all rows in the table. The result is a valid, but empty table.
</para>
<tip>
<para>
<xref linkend="sql-truncate" endterm="sql-truncate-title"> is a
<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> extension which provides a
faster mechanism to remove all rows from a table.
</para>
</tip>
<para>
By default, <command>DELETE</command> will delete rows in the
specified table and all its subtables. If you wish to only delete
from the specific table mentioned, you must use the
<literal>ONLY</literal> clause.
</para>
<para>
You must have the <literal>DELETE</literal> privilege on the table
to delete from it, as well as the <literal>SELECT</literal>
privilege to any table whose values are read in the <replaceable
class="parameter">condition</replaceable>.
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Parameters</title>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><replaceable class="parameter">table</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
The name (optionally schema-qualified) of an existing table.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><replaceable class="parameter">condition</replaceable></term>
<listitem>
<para>
A value expression that returns a value of type
<type>boolean</type> that determines the rows which are to be
deleted.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Diagnostics</title>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><computeroutput>DELETE <replaceable class="parameter">count</replaceable></computeroutput></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Message returned if rows are successfully deleted. The
<replaceable class="parameter">count</replaceable> is the number
of rows deleted. If <replaceable
class="parameter">count</replaceable> is 0, no rows were
deleted.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Examples</title>
<para>
Delete all films but musicals:
<programlisting>
DELETE FROM films WHERE kind &lt;&gt; 'Musical';
</programlisting>
</para>
<para>
Clear the table <literal>films</literal>:
<programlisting>
DELETE FROM films;
</programlisting>
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Compatibility</title>
<para>
This command conforms to the SQL standard.
</para>
</refsect1>
</refentry>
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