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HP OpenVMS DCL Dictionary
DELETE
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[,...]
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 (+).
Description
The DELETE command deletes one or more files from a mass storage disk
volume. This command requires delete (D) access to the file and write
(W) access to the parent directory.
Qualifiers
/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.
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/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.
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/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
HP OpenVMS Guide to System Security.
Note
Using this qualifier with DELETE/TREE command results in an error.
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/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:
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YES
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NO
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QUIT
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TRUE
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FALSE
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Ctrl/Z
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1
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0
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ALL
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[Return]
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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.
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/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.
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/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.
/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.
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/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.
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/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.
/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.
/LOG
/NOLOG (default)
Controls whether the DELETE command displays the file specification of
each file after its deletion.
/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.
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/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.
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/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 |
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CONDENSED (default)
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Displays the file name representation of what is generated to fit into
a 255-length character string. This file name may contain a DID or a
FID in the file specification.
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EXPANDED
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Displays the file name representation of what is stored on disk. This
file name does not contain any DID or FID abbreviations.
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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.
/SYMLINK=keyword
The valid keywords for this qualifier are [NO]WILDCARD and
[NO]ELLIPSIS. Descriptions are as follows:
| Keyword |
Explanation |
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WILDCARD
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Indicates that symlinks are enabled during wildcard searches.
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NOWILDCARD
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Indicates that symlinks are disabled during directory wildcard searches.
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ELLIPSIS
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Equivalent to WILDCARD (included for command symmetry).
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NOELLIPSIS
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Indicates that symlinks are matched for all wildcard fields except for
ellipsis.
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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.
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/TREE
Recursively deletes all files and sub directories excluding the parent
directory.
You can specify only the following qualifiers with the /TREE qualifier:
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/ERASE
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/GRAND_TOTAL
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/IGNORE
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/LOG
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/STYLE
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Examples
The DELETE command deletes the file COMMON.SUM;2 from the current
default disk and directory.
The DELETE command deletes all versions of files with file type .OLD
from the default disk directory.
| #3 |
$ DELETE ALPHA.TXT;*, BETA;*, GAMMA;*
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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)
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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.
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
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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
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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
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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;
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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)
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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)
$
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The DELETE/TREE command deletes all the files and sub directories
recursively excluding the parent directory.
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