Reference Manual
   CHAPTER 9. SQL Statements     

DELETE (positioned) statement [ESQL] [SP]

Function 

To delete the data at the current location of a cursor.

Syntax 

DELETE [ FROM table-spec ]
...WHERE CURRENT OF cursor-name

Parameters 

cursor-name: identifier or host-variable

table-spec: [ owner.]correlation-name

owner: identifier

Permissions 

Must have DELETE permission on tables used in the cursor.

Side effects 

None.

See also 

UPDATE statement

UPDATE (positioned) statement

INSERT statement

PUT statement

Description 

This form of the DELETE statement deletes the current row of the specified cursor. The current row is defined to be the last row fetched from the cursor.

Name resolution 

The table from which rows are deleted is determined as follows:

• If no FROM clause is included, the cursor must be on a single table only.

• If the cursor is for a joined query (including using a view containing a join), then the FROM clause must be used. Only the current row of the specified table is deleted. The other tables involved in the join are not affected.

• If a FROM clause is included, and no table owner is specified, the table-spec value is first matched against any correlation names.

  • If a correlation name exists, the table-spec value is identified with the correlation name.

  • If a correlation name does not exist, the table-spec value must be unambiguously identifiable as a table name in the cursor.

• If a FROM clause is included, and a table owner is specified, the table-spec value must be unambiguously identifiable as a table name in the cursor.

• The positioned DELETE statement can be used on a cursor open on a view as long as the view is updatable.

Standards and compatibility 

• SQL/92     Entry level feature.

• Sybase     Embedded SQL use is supported by Open Client/Open Server, and procedure and trigger use is supported only in Adaptive Server Anywhere.

Example 

• The following statement removes the current row from the database.

  DELETE
  WHERE CURRENT OF cur_employee