Delete rows

Tables with the Data API are currently in public preview. Development is ongoing, and the features and functionality are subject to change. Hyper-Converged Database (HCD), and the use of such, is subject to the DataStax Preview Terms.

Finds rows in a table using filter clauses, and then deletes those rows.

For general information about working with tables and rows, see About tables with the Data API.

Ready to write code? See the examples for this method to get started. If you are new to the Data API, check out the quickstart.

Result

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

Deletes rows that match the specified parameters. If no rows match the specified parameters, this method does not delete any rows.

Does not return anything.

Deletes rows that match the specified parameters. If no rows match the specified parameters, this method does not delete any rows.

Returns a promise that resolves once the operation completes.

Deletes rows that match the specified parameters. If no rows match the specified parameters, this method does not delete any rows.

Does not return anything.

Deletes rows that match the specified parameters. If no rows match the specified parameters, this method does not delete any rows.

Always returns a status.deletedCount of -1, regardless of whether a row was found and deleted.

Example response:

{
  "status": {
    "deletedCount": -1
  }
}

Parameters

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

Use the delete_many method, which belongs to the astrapy.Table class.

Method signature

delete_many(
  filter: Dict[str, Any],
  *,
  general_method_timeout_ms: int,
  request_timeout_ms: int,
  timeout_ms: int,
) -> None

Name Type Summary

filter

dict

A filter dictionary to specify the rows to delete.

If the filter is in the form {"primary_key_1": value1, "primary_key_2": value2 …} and specifies the primary key in full, only the row matching that full primary key will be deleted.
If the table has partitionSort columns, some or all of them may be omitted from the filter. If there are multiple partitionSort, you can use the $eq, $ne, or range operators (such as $gt) on the last partitionSort column. A range of rows, always within a single partition, will be deleted.
If an empty filter, {}, is passed, this operation empties the table completely.

An empty filter deletes all rows, completely emptying the table.
Other kinds of filtering clauses are forbidden.

delete_many filter examples

For example, if a table is partitioned by columns ["partition_key1", "partition_key2"] and has partition sort of "partition_sort1" and "partition_sort2" in that order:

{"partition_key1": x, "partition_key2": y, "partition_sort1": z, "partition_sort2": t}: deletes one row
{"partition_key1": x, "partition_key2": y, "partition_sort1": z}: deletes multiple rows
{"partition_key1": x, "partition_key2": y, "partition_sort1": z, "partition_sort2": {"$lt": q}}: deletes multiple rows
{"partition_key1": x, "partition_key2": y}: deletes all rows in the partition
{}: empties the table

Invalid filter examples:

{"partition_key1": x}: incomplete partition key
{"partition_key1": x, "partition_sort1" z}: incomplete partition key
{"partition_key1": x, "partition_key2": y, "partition_sort1": {"$lt": r}, "partition_sort2": t}: inequality on a non-least-significant partition sort column
{"partition_key1": x, "partition_key2": y, "partition_sort2": t}: cannot skip partition_sort1

For information about operators, see Filter operators for tables.

general_method_timeout_ms

int | None

A timeout, in milliseconds, to impose on the underlying API request. If not provided, the Table defaults apply. This parameter is aliased as request_timeout_ms and timeout_ms for convenience.

Use the deleteMany method, which belongs to the Table class.

Method signature

async deleteMany(
  filter: TableFilter<Schema>,
  options?: {
    timeout?: number | TimeoutDescriptor,
  },
): void

Name Type Summary

filter

TableFilter

An object containing the filter to apply to the table to determine which rows to delete.

It can be empty or contain key-value pairs that determine the rows to delete.

An empty filter deletes all rows, completely emptying the table.

If not empty, the contents of filter depends on the table’s primary key definition:

For single-column primary keys, filter must include the primary key, and it cannot include any other columns.
For composite primary keys, filter must include all partition keys, and it cannot include any columns outside of the primary key definition.
For compound primary keys, filter must include all partition keys. It can include optional clustering keys, but it cannot include columns outside of the primary key definition.

If you include clustering keys, you must include them in the order specified in the primary key definition. You can omit clustering keys, but you cannot skip any clustering keys. For example, if you have three clustering keys, a, b, and c, then you can include a and omit b and c. However, if you include b, then you must also include a.

Additionally, clustering keys allow only the $eq operator, with the exception of the last clustering key in the table’s primary key definition, which allows $eq, $ne, or range operators ($gt, $gte, $lt, and $lte). For example, if your table has three clustering keys, a, b, and c, then you can only use range operators with c.

For information about operators, see Filter operators for tables.

options.timeout?

WithTimeout

The client-side timeout for this operation.

Use the deleteMany method, which belongs to the com.datastax.astra.client.tables.Table class.

Method signature

void deleteMany(Filter filter)

void deleteMany(
  Filter filter,
  TableDeleteManyOptions options
)

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`filter`	`Filter`	A filter expressing which condition the returned row must satisfy, which can be empty or use operators to compare columns with literal values. Filters can be instantiated with its constructor and specialized with method `where(..)` or leverage the class `Filters` If not empty, the contents of `filter` depends on the table’s primary key definition: For single-column primary keys, `filter` must include the primary key, and it cannot include any other columns. For composite primary keys, `filter` must include all partition keys, and it cannot include any columns outside of the primary key definition. For compound primary keys, `filter` must include all partition keys. It can include optional clustering keys, but it cannot include columns outside of the primary key definition. If you include clustering keys, you must include them in the order specified in the primary key definition. You can omit clustering keys, but you cannot skip any clustering keys. For example, if you have three clustering keys, `a`, `b`, and `c`, then you can include `a` and omit `b` and `c`. However, if you include `b`, then you must also include `a`. Additionally, clustering keys allow only the `$eq` operator, with the exception of the last clustering key in the table’s primary key definition, which allows `$eq`, `$ne`, or range operators (`$gt`, `$gte`, `$lt`, and `$lte`). For example, if your table has three clustering keys, `a`, `b`, and `c`, then you can only use range operators with `c`. For information about operators, see Filter operators for tables.
`options`	`TableDeleteManyOptions`	Operations to be applied to the delete operation like (mostly) timeout.

filter

Filter

A filter expressing which condition the returned row must satisfy, which can be empty or use operators to compare columns with literal values. Filters can be instantiated with its constructor and specialized with method where(..) or leverage the class Filters

If not empty, the contents of filter depends on the table’s primary key definition:

For single-column primary keys, filter must include the primary key, and it cannot include any other columns.
For composite primary keys, filter must include all partition keys, and it cannot include any columns outside of the primary key definition.
For compound primary keys, filter must include all partition keys. It can include optional clustering keys, but it cannot include columns outside of the primary key definition.

If you include clustering keys, you must include them in the order specified in the primary key definition. You can omit clustering keys, but you cannot skip any clustering keys. For example, if you have three clustering keys, a, b, and c, then you can include a and omit b and c. However, if you include b, then you must also include a.

Additionally, clustering keys allow only the $eq operator, with the exception of the last clustering key in the table’s primary key definition, which allows $eq, $ne, or range operators ($gt, $gte, $lt, and $lte). For example, if your table has three clustering keys, a, b, and c, then you can only use range operators with c.

For information about operators, see Filter operators for tables.

options

TableDeleteManyOptions

Operations to be applied to the delete operation like (mostly) timeout.

Use the deleteMany command.

Command signature

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/api/json/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME/TABLE_NAME" \
--header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
  "deleteMany": {
    "filter": FILTER,
  }
}'

Name Type Summary

deleteMany

command

The Data API command to delete any rows in a table that match a given filter.

filter

object

Can be empty or contain key-value pairs that determine the rows to delete.

An empty filter deletes all rows, completely emptying the table.

If not empty, the contents of filter depends on the table’s primary key definition:

For single-column primary keys, filter must include the primary key, and it cannot include any other columns.
For composite primary keys, filter must include all partition keys, and it cannot include any columns outside of the primary key definition.
For compound primary keys, filter must include all partition keys. It can include optional clustering keys, but it cannot include columns outside of the primary key definition.

If you include clustering keys, you must include them in the order specified in the primary key definition. You can omit clustering keys, but you cannot skip any clustering keys. For example, if you have three clustering keys, a, b, and c, then you can include a and omit b and c. However, if you include b, then you must also include a.

Additionally, clustering keys allow only the $eq operator, with the exception of the last clustering key in the table’s primary key definition, which allows $eq, $ne, or range operators ($gt, $gte, $lt, and $lte). For example, if your table has three clustering keys, a, b, and c, then you can only use range operators with c.

For information about operators, see Filter operators for tables.

Examples

The following examples demonstrate how to delete rows in a table.

Delete a row by primary key

If the filter specifies the full primary key, only the row matching that full primary key is deleted.

In the following example, the table has a composite primary key with the columns title and author.

For more information, see Primary keys in tables and Filter operators for tables.

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

from astrapy import DataAPIClient
from astrapy.authentication import UsernamePasswordTokenProvider
from astrapy.constants import Environment

# Get an existing table
client = DataAPIClient(environment=Environment.HCD)
database = client.get_database(
    "API_ENDPOINT",
    token=UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
)
table = database.get_table("TABLE_NAME", keyspace="KEYSPACE_NAME")

# Delete rows
table.delete_many({"title": "Hidden Shadows of the Past", "author": "John Anthony"})

import {
  DataAPIClient,
  UsernamePasswordTokenProvider,
} from "@datastax/astra-db-ts";

// Get an existing table
const client = new DataAPIClient({ environment: "hcd" });
const database = client.db("API_ENDPOINT", {
  token: new UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
});
const table = database.table("TABLE_NAME", {
  keyspace: "KEYSPACE_NAME",
});

// Delete rows
(async function () {
  const result = await table.deleteMany({
    title: "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
    author: "John Anthony",
  });

  console.log(result);
})();

import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClient;
import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClients;
import com.datastax.astra.client.core.query.Filter;
import com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.Table;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.definition.rows.Row;
import java.util.Map;

public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Get an existing table
    DataAPIClient client = DataAPIClients.clientHCD("USERNAME", "PASSWORD");
    Database database = client.getDatabase("API_ENDPOINT", "KEYSPACE_NAME");
    Table<Row> table = database.getTable("TABLE_NAME");

    // Delete rows
    Filter filter =
        new Filter(
            Map.of(
                "title", "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
                "author", "John Anthony"));
    table.deleteMany(filter);
  }
}

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME/TABLE_NAME" \
  --header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "deleteMany": {
    "filter": {
      "title": "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
      "author": "John Anthony"
    }
  }
}'

Delete rows in a table with a single-column primary key

If the table has a single-column primary key, the filter must include the column in the primary key, and it cannot include any other columns.

In the following example, the table has a single-column primary key with the column title.

For more information, see Primary keys in tables and Filter operators for tables.

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

from astrapy import DataAPIClient
from astrapy.authentication import UsernamePasswordTokenProvider
from astrapy.constants import Environment

# Get an existing table
client = DataAPIClient(environment=Environment.HCD)
database = client.get_database(
    "API_ENDPOINT",
    token=UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
)
table = database.get_table("TABLE_NAME", keyspace="KEYSPACE_NAME")

# Delete rows
table.delete_many(
    {
        "title": "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
    }
)

import {
  DataAPIClient,
  UsernamePasswordTokenProvider,
} from "@datastax/astra-db-ts";

// Get an existing table
const client = new DataAPIClient({ environment: "hcd" });
const database = client.db("API_ENDPOINT", {
  token: new UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
});
const table = database.table("TABLE_NAME", {
  keyspace: "KEYSPACE_NAME",
});

// Delete rows
(async function () {
  const result = await table.deleteMany({
    title: "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
  });

  console.log(result);
})();

import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClient;
import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClients;
import com.datastax.astra.client.core.query.Filter;
import com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.Table;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.definition.rows.Row;
import java.util.Map;

public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Get an existing table
    DataAPIClient client = DataAPIClients.clientHCD("USERNAME", "PASSWORD");
    Database database = client.getDatabase("API_ENDPOINT", "KEYSPACE_NAME");
    Table<Row> table = database.getTable("TABLE_NAME");

    // Delete rows
    Filter filter = new Filter(Map.of("title", "Hidden Shadows of the Past"));
    table.deleteMany(filter);
  }
}

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME/TABLE_NAME" \
  --header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "deleteMany": {
    "filter": {
      "title": "Hidden Shadows of the Past"
    }
  }
}'

Delete rows in a table with a composite primary key

If the table has a composite primary key, the filter must include all columns in the primary key definition (all partition keys), and it cannot include any other columns.

In the following example, the table has a composite primary key with the columns title and author.

For more information, see Primary keys in tables and Filter operators for tables.

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

from astrapy import DataAPIClient
from astrapy.authentication import UsernamePasswordTokenProvider
from astrapy.constants import Environment

# Get an existing table
client = DataAPIClient(environment=Environment.HCD)
database = client.get_database(
    "API_ENDPOINT",
    token=UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
)
table = database.get_table("TABLE_NAME", keyspace="KEYSPACE_NAME")

# Delete rows
table.delete_many({"title": "Hidden Shadows of the Past", "author": "John Anthony"})

import {
  DataAPIClient,
  UsernamePasswordTokenProvider,
} from "@datastax/astra-db-ts";

// Get an existing table
const client = new DataAPIClient({ environment: "hcd" });
const database = client.db("API_ENDPOINT", {
  token: new UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
});
const table = database.table("TABLE_NAME", {
  keyspace: "KEYSPACE_NAME",
});

// Delete rows
(async function () {
  const result = await table.deleteMany({
    title: "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
    author: "John Anthony",
  });

  console.log(result);
})();

import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClient;
import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClients;
import com.datastax.astra.client.core.query.Filter;
import com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.Table;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.definition.rows.Row;
import java.util.Map;

public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Get an existing table
    DataAPIClient client = DataAPIClients.clientHCD("USERNAME", "PASSWORD");
    Database database = client.getDatabase("API_ENDPOINT", "KEYSPACE_NAME");
    Table<Row> table = database.getTable("TABLE_NAME");

    // Delete rows
    Filter filter =
        new Filter(
            Map.of(
                "title", "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
                "author", "John Anthony"));
    table.deleteMany(filter);
  }
}

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME/TABLE_NAME" \
  --header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "deleteMany": {
    "filter": {
      "title": "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
      "author": "John Anthony"
    }
  }
}'

Delete rows in a table with a compound primary key

If the table has a compound primary key, the filter must include all of the partition (grouping) columns in the primary key.

The filter can also include clustering (sorting) columns from the primary key:

The order of the clustering columns in the filter must match the order in the primary key definition. You can omit clustering keys, but you cannot skip any clustering keys. For example, if you have three clustering keys, a, b, and c, then you can include a and omit b and c. However, if you include b, then you must also include a.
The last clustering column can use range operators ($gt, $gte, $lt, and $lte) or the $eq operator. All other clustering columns can only use the $eq operator. For example, if your table has three clustering keys, a, b, and c, then you can only use range operators with c.

The filter cannot include any other columns.

In the following example, the table has a compound primary key with the partition column title and the clustering column rating.

For more information, see Primary keys in tables and Filter operators for tables.

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

from astrapy import DataAPIClient
from astrapy.authentication import UsernamePasswordTokenProvider
from astrapy.constants import Environment

# Get an existing table
client = DataAPIClient(environment=Environment.HCD)
database = client.get_database(
    "API_ENDPOINT",
    token=UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
)
table = database.get_table("TABLE_NAME", keyspace="KEYSPACE_NAME")

# Delete rows
table.delete_many({"title": "Hidden Shadows of the Past", "rating": 4})

import {
  DataAPIClient,
  UsernamePasswordTokenProvider,
} from "@datastax/astra-db-ts";

// Get an existing table
const client = new DataAPIClient({ environment: "hcd" });
const database = client.db("API_ENDPOINT", {
  token: new UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
});
const table = database.table("TABLE_NAME", {
  keyspace: "KEYSPACE_NAME",
});

// Delete rows
(async function () {
  const result = await table.deleteMany({
    title: "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
    rating: 4,
  });

  console.log(result);
})();

import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClient;
import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClients;
import com.datastax.astra.client.core.query.Filter;
import com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.Table;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.definition.rows.Row;
import java.util.Map;

public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Get an existing table
    DataAPIClient client = DataAPIClients.clientHCD("USERNAME", "PASSWORD");
    Database database = client.getDatabase("API_ENDPOINT", "KEYSPACE_NAME");
    Table<Row> table = database.getTable("TABLE_NAME");

    // Delete rows
    Filter filter = new Filter(Map.of("title", "Hidden Shadows of the Past", "rating", 4));

    table.deleteMany(filter);
  }
}

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME/TABLE_NAME" \
  --header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "deleteMany": {
    "filter": {
      "title": "Hidden Shadows of the Past",
      "rating": 4
    }
  }
}'

Delete all rows

To delete all rows, use an empty filter.

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

from astrapy import DataAPIClient
from astrapy.authentication import UsernamePasswordTokenProvider
from astrapy.constants import Environment

# Get an existing table
client = DataAPIClient(environment=Environment.HCD)
database = client.get_database(
    "API_ENDPOINT",
    token=UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
)
table = database.get_table("TABLE_NAME", keyspace="KEYSPACE_NAME")

# Delete rows
table.delete_many({})

import {
  DataAPIClient,
  UsernamePasswordTokenProvider,
} from "@datastax/astra-db-ts";

// Get an existing table
const client = new DataAPIClient({ environment: "hcd" });
const database = client.db("API_ENDPOINT", {
  token: new UsernamePasswordTokenProvider("USERNAME", "PASSWORD"),
});
const table = database.table("TABLE_NAME", {
  keyspace: "KEYSPACE_NAME",
});

// Delete rows
(async function () {
  const result = await table.deleteMany({});

  console.log(result);
})();

import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClient;
import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClients;
import com.datastax.astra.client.core.query.Filter;
import com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.Table;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.definition.rows.Row;

public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Get an existing table
    DataAPIClient client = DataAPIClients.clientHCD("USERNAME", "PASSWORD");
    Database database = client.getDatabase("API_ENDPOINT", "KEYSPACE_NAME");
    Table<Row> table = database.getTable("TABLE_NAME");

    // Delete rows
    table.deleteMany(new Filter());
  }
}

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME/TABLE_NAME" \
  --header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "deleteMany": {
    "filter": {}
  }
}'

Similarly, an empty deleteMany object deletes all rows.

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME/TABLE_NAME" \
  --header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "deleteMany": {}
}'

Client reference

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

For more information, see the client reference.

Client reference documentation is not applicable for HTTP.

Delete rows

Result

Parameters

Examples

Delete a row by primary key

Delete rows in a table with a single-column primary key

Delete rows in a table with a composite primary key

Delete rows in a table with a compound primary key

Delete all rows

Client reference

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