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SIMPLE_SQL_DELETE_BUILDER

Fluent builder for DELETE statements. Use .where() to specify which rows to delete.

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Destructive Operation

DELETE permanently removes rows. Consider using soft deletes instead for data you might need to recover.

Filtering

where (a_condition: READABLE_STRING_8): like Current

Add WHERE clause to limit which rows are deleted.

where (a_condition: READABLE_STRING_8; a_value: detachable ANY): like Current

WHERE with single parameter binding.

Always Use WHERE

Without a WHERE clause, DELETE removes ALL rows in the table! Always specify conditions.

Execution

execute

Execute the DELETE statement.

to_sql: STRING_8

Generate SQL without executing.

Examples

Delete by ID

db.delete_from ("users")
    .where ("id = ?", user_id)
    .execute

print ("Deleted " + db.changes.out + " rows%N")

Delete with Multiple Conditions

db.delete_from ("sessions")
    .where ("user_id = ? AND expired = 1")
    .execute

Delete Old Records

-- Delete logs older than 30 days
db.delete_from ("logs")
    .where ("created_at < datetime('now', '-30 days')")
    .execute

print ("Cleaned up " + db.changes.out + " old log entries%N")

Delete with Subquery

-- Delete orphaned records
db.delete_from ("order_items")
    .where ("order_id NOT IN (SELECT id FROM orders)")
    .execute

Safe Delete Pattern (Check First)

local
    result: SIMPLE_SQL_RESULT
do
    -- Verify record exists and user has permission
    result := db.select_from ("documents")
        .where ("id = ? AND owner_id = ?")
        .execute

    if not result.is_empty then
        db.delete_from ("documents")
            .where ("id = ?", doc_id)
            .execute
        print ("Document deleted%N")
    else
        print ("Document not found or access denied%N")
    end
end

Soft Delete Alternative

Instead of permanent deletion, consider soft deletes:
db.update("users").set_raw("deleted_at", "datetime('now')").where("id = ?", id).execute