SAS Component Language Dictionary

DELETE

Deletes a member of a SAS data library or an external file or directory

Category:

Utility

Syntax
Details
Examples
	Example 1: Deleting Tables and Catalog Entries
	Example 2: Deleting Files
	Example 3: Deleting Data Set Generations
See Also

Syntax

sysrc=DELETE(name<,type,<,password<,generation>>>);

sysrc

contains the return code for the operation:

0	successful
0	not successful

Type: Numeric

name

is the name of the member of the SAS data library or the physical pathname of an external file or directory. If a one-level name is specified for a SAS data library member, the library is assumed to be USER.

Type: Character

type

specifies the type of element to delete:

'ACCESS': an access descriptor that was created using SAS/ACCESS software.
'CATALOG': a SAS catalog or catalog entry. If a one- or two-level name is specified, the catalog is deleted. If a four-level name is specified, the entry is deleted.
'DATA': a SAS table. (This is the default.)
'FILE': an external file or directory.
'MDDB': an MDDB.
'VIEW': a SAS table view.

Type: Character

password

is the password that is assigned to the SAS table when type is DATA.

Type: Character

generation

is the generation number of the SAS table that is being deleted.

Type: Numeric

Details

DELETE attempts to delete the specified member and returns a value indicating whether the operation was successful. You can use DELETE to delete files or empty directories that are external to a SAS session, as well as members of a SAS data library.

Examples

Example 1: Deleting Tables and Catalog Entries

Delete the SAS table LIB1.MYDATA and the SAS catalog entry LIB2.CAT1.MYPROG.PROGRAM:

rc=delete('lib1.mydata');
rc=delete('lib2.cat1.myprog.program','catalog');

When deleting generation tables, if you delete the current (base) table without specifying the generation parameter, all tables in the generation group are deleted. For example:

rc=delete('one');
/* Deletes all tables in the generation group named 'one'*/

If you specify the current (base) table using the generation parameter, only that table is deleted. The youngest historical table becomes the new base. For example:

rc=delete('one','data',",0); 
/* Deletes only the table work.one (relative generation number=0) */

Example 2: Deleting Files

Delete an external file:

In UNIX:

/* delete a file in a different directory */
rc=delete('/local/u/abcdef/testfile','file');

In Windows:

/* delete a file in a different directory */
rc=delete('D:\testfile','file');

Example 3: Deleting Data Set Generations

Delete the third generation of a data set:

   /* delete the third generation of the data set `work.one' */
rc=delete('work.one','data',",3);