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

The filter criteria, defined using the Data API filter syntax.

If no filter or an empty filter is used, all rows are deleted.

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

  • For tables with a single-column primary key: the filter must include the primary key, and it cannot include any other columns.

  • For tables with a composite primary key: the filter must include all partition keys, and it cannot include any columns outside of the primary key definition.

  • For tables with a compound primary key: the 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.

general_method_timeout_ms

int

Optional. The maximum time, in milliseconds, that the client should wait for the underlying HTTP request.

This parameter is aliased as request_timeout_ms and timeout_ms for convenience.

Default: The default value for the table. This default is 30 seconds unless you specified a different default when you initialized the Table or DataAPIClient object. For more information, see Timeout options.

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

The filter criteria, defined using the Data API filter syntax.

If no filter or an empty filter is used, all rows are deleted.

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

  • For tables with a single-column primary key: the filter must include the primary key, and it cannot include any other columns.

  • For tables with a composite primary key: the filter must include all partition keys, and it cannot include any columns outside of the primary key definition.

  • For tables with a compound primary key: the 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.

options.timeout

number | TimeoutDescriptor

Optional. A timeout to impose on the underlying API request.

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

filter

Filter

The filter criteria, defined using the Data API filter syntax.

If no filter or an empty filter is used, all rows are deleted.

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

  • For tables with a single-column primary key: the filter must include the primary key, and it cannot include any other columns.

  • For tables with a composite primary key: the filter must include all partition keys, and it cannot include any columns outside of the primary key definition.

  • For tables with a compound primary key: the 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.

options

TableDeleteManyOptions

General API options for this operation, including the 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

filter

object

The filter criteria, defined using the Data API filter syntax.

If no filter or an empty filter is used, all rows are deleted.

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

  • For tables with a single-column primary key: the filter must include the primary key, and it cannot include any other columns.

  • For tables with a composite primary key: the filter must include all partition keys, and it cannot include any columns outside of the primary key definition.

  • For tables with a compound primary key: the 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.

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.

For more information, see the client reference.

For more information, see the client reference.

Client reference documentation is not applicable for HTTP.

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