DELETE command operands

entry_name/password

is a required operand that names the entries in the designated catalogs to be deleted. When more than one entry is to be deleted, the list of entry_names must be enclosed in parentheses. This operand must be the first parameter following DELETE.

If you want to delete several data set entries having similar names, you can insert an asterisk into the data set name at the point of dissimilarity. That is, all data set entries whose names match except at the position where the asterisk is placed are deleted. However, you can use only one asterisk per data set name. It cannot appear in the first position.

For example, assume that you have several data set entries named:

  1) VACOT.SOURCE.PLI.DDD
  2) VACOT.SOURCE.PLI.DDD.EEE
  3) VACOT.SOURCE.PLI

 DELETE VACOT.*   results in the deletion of no data sets.		
 DELETE VACOT.SOURCE.*   results in the deletion of data set #3.
 DELETE VACOT.SOURCE.*.DDD   results in the deletion of data set #1.
 DELETE VACOT.SOURCE.*.DDD.EEE   results in the deletion of data set #2.

password: specifies a password for a password-protected entry. Passwords can be specified for each entry_name or the catalog's password can be specified through the CATALOG operand for the catalog that contains the entries to be deleted.

CATALOG(catalog_name[/password])

specifies the name of the catalog that contains the entries to be deleted.

catalog_name: identifies the catalog that contains the entry to be deleted.
password: specifies the master password of the catalog that contains the entries to be deleted.

FILE(ddname)

specifies the name of the DD statement that identifies the volume that contains the data set to be deleted or identifies the entry to be deleted.

PURGE | PRG | NOPURGE | NPRG

PURGE | PRG: specifies the entry is to be deleted even if the retention period, specified in the TO or FOR operand, has not expired.
NOPURGE | NPRG: specifies the entry is not to be deleted if the retention period has not expired. When NOPURGE is coded and the retention period has not expired, the entry is not deleted. NOPURGE is the default.

ERASE | NOERASE | NERAS

ERASE: specifies the data component of a cluster (VSAM only) is to be overwritten with binary zeros when the cluster is deleted. If ERASE is specified, the volume that contains the data component must be mounted.
NOERASE | NERAS: specifies the data component of a cluster (VSAM only) is not to be overwritten with binary zeros when the cluster is deleted.

SCRATCH | NOSCRATCH | NSCR

SCRATCH: specifies a non-VSAM data set is to be scratched (removed) from the volume table of contents (VTOC) of the volume on which it resides. SCRATCH is the default.
NOSCRATCH | NSCR: specifies a non-VSAM data set is not to be scratched (removed) from the VTOC of the volume on which it resides.

CLUSTER

specifies the entry to be deleted is a cluster entry for a VSAM data set.

USERCATALOG | UCAT

specifies the entry to be deleted is a user-catalog entry. This operand must be specified if a user catalog is to be deleted. A user catalog can be deleted only if it is empty.

SPACE | SPC

specifies the entry to be deleted is a VSAM data-space entry. This operand is required if a data space is to be deleted. A data space can be deleted only if it is empty. A VSAM data space can be cataloged only in a VSAM catalog, not in an ICF catalog.

NONVSAM | NVSAM

specifies the entry to be deleted is a non-VSAM data set entry. This is an optional operand that defaults to the actual type of catalog entry. If it differs from the actual entry type, the DELETE fails.

ALIAS

specifies the entry to be deleted is an alias entry.

GENERATIONDATAGROUP | GDG

specifies the entry to be deleted is a generation-data-group entry. A generation-data-group base can be deleted only if it is empty.

PAGESPACE | PGSPC

specifies a page space is to be deleted. A page space can be deleted only if it is inactive.

If the FILE operand is omitted, the entry_name is dynamically allocated in the following cases:

A non-VSAM entry is to be deleted and scratched.
An entry is to be deleted and erased.
An entry that resides in a data space of its own is to be deleted.