COBOL DELETE Statement

COBOL DELETE Statement

The DELETE statement removes a record from an indexed or relative file.

Syntax

DELETE file-name RECORD
    [INVALID KEY imperative-statement]
    [NOT INVALID KEY imperative-statement]
[END-DELETE]

Example Program

       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. DELETE-DEMO.

       ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
       INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.
       FILE-CONTROL.
           SELECT EMP-FILE ASSIGN TO 'EMPLOYEE.DAT'
               ORGANIZATION IS INDEXED
               ACCESS MODE IS RANDOM
               RECORD KEY IS EMP-ID
               FILE STATUS IS WS-FILE-STATUS.

       DATA DIVISION.
       FILE SECTION.
       FD EMP-FILE.
       01 EMP-RECORD.
          05 EMP-ID       PIC 9(5).
          05 EMP-NAME     PIC X(30).
          05 EMP-SALARY   PIC 9(7)V99.

       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 WS-FILE-STATUS  PIC XX.
       01 WS-DELETE-ID    PIC 9(5).

       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           OPEN I-O EMP-FILE
           IF WS-FILE-STATUS NOT = '00'
               DISPLAY 'Error opening file'
               STOP RUN
           END-IF

      * Set the key of record to delete
           MOVE 00003 TO EMP-ID

      * For random access, READ is optional before DELETE
      * For sequential access, READ is required

           DELETE EMP-FILE RECORD
               INVALID KEY
                   DISPLAY 'Record ' EMP-ID ' not found'
               NOT INVALID KEY
                   DISPLAY 'Record ' EMP-ID ' deleted'
           END-DELETE

           CLOSE EMP-FILE
           STOP RUN.

Expected Output

Record 00003 deleted

(or "Record 00003 not found" if record doesn't exist)

Key Points

• File must be opened I-O
• For sequential access, READ before DELETE
• For random access, just set the key
• Only for indexed and relative files
• Cannot DELETE from sequential files