FILE DELETE Statement

The DELETE statement removes a record from an indexed or relative file. After the successful execution of a DELETE statement, the record is removed from the file and can no longer be available.

Points to note -

DELETE does not apply to sequential files, as record deletion is not possible.
The file must open in I-O mode to execute the DELETE statement.
After the successful deletion, the space occupied by the record is marked as available but not immediately used.
The record that is going to be delete should read first for SEQUENTIAL access mode.
RECORD KEY (for indexed files) or RELATIVE KEY (for relative files) information should be provided with DELETE statement for DYNAMIC access mode.

Syntax -

DELETE logical-file-name 
           [INVALID KEY statements-set1]
       [NOT INVALID KEY statements-set2]
[END-DELETE].

Note! All statements coded in [ ] are optional.

Parameters -

logical-file-name - Specifies the file from which the record is to be deleted.
END-DELETE - Marks the end of the DELETE statement. END-DELETE is not required when DELETE statement ended with period.

Error Handling -

INVALID KEY - This phrase specifies the action to be taken if the record is not found (or if the key is invalid). The statements following INVALID KEY are executed in such cases.
NOT INVALID KEY - This phrase specifies the steps to be taken if the deletion is successful and the key is valid.

Practical Example -

Scenario - Deleting a record from KSDS file using key (E0006).

Input File (KSDS) -

Browse           MATESY.EMPLOYEE.DETAILS
Command ===>                            
                            Type KSDS   
Key
<===>----10---+----2----+----3----+----4
****  Top of data  ****                 
E0001EMPLOYEE1      MANAGER   0000200000
E0002EMPLOYEE2      TL        0000150000
E0003EMPLOYEE3      SE        0000050000
E0004EMPLOYEE4      SSE       0000040000
E0005EMPLOYEE5      SE        0000045000
E0006EMPLOYEE6      SE        0000045000
****  End of data  ****

Code -

----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+
       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. FILEDEL. 

       ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
       INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.
       FILE-CONTROL. 
           SELECT EMPFILE ASSIGN TO INPUT01
           ORGANIZATION IS INDEXED 
           ACCESS MODE  IS RANDOM 
           RECORD KEY   IS EMP-ID
           FILE STATUS  IS WS-FS1.

       DATA DIVISION.                             
       FILE SECTION.
       FD EMPFILE
           RECORD CONTAINS 80  CHARACTERS
           BLOCK  CONTAINS 800 CHARACTERS 
           DATA RECORD     IS EMPFILE-RECORD.

       01 EMPFILE-RECORD.
          05 EMP-ID        PIC X(05). 
          05 EMP-NAME      PIC X(15).
          05 EMP-DESG      PIC X(10).
          05 EMP-SALARY    PIC 9(10).
          05 FILLER        PIC X(40).

       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 WS-VAR.
          05 WS-FS1        PIC 9(02). 
          05 WS-EOF-SW     PIC X(01).
             88 WS-EOF               VALUE 'Y'.
             88 WS-NOT-EOF           VALUE 'N'.

       PROCEDURE DIVISION.

           OPEN I-O EMPFILE.

           MOVE 'E0006'        TO EMP-ID.
           DELETE EMPFILE
                      INVALID KEY DISPLAY "RECORD NOT FOUND"
                  NOT INVALID KEY DISPLAY "RECORD SUCCESSFULLY DELETED" 
           END-DELETE.
 
           CLOSE EMPFILE.

           STOP RUN.

Run JCL -

//MATESYF JOB MSGLEVEL=(1,1),NOTIFY=&SYSUID
//*                                                 
//STEP01  EXEC PGM=FILDEL
//STEPLIB  DD  DSN=MATESY.COBOL.LOADLIB,DISP=SHR
//INPUT01  DD  DSN=MATESY.EMPLOYEE.DETAILS,DISP=SHR 
//SYSOUT   DD  SYSOUT=*

Output -

RECORD SUCCESSFULLY DELETED

File after deletion -

Browse           MATESY.EMPLOYEE.DETAILS
Command ===>                            
                            Type KSDS   
Key                                     
<===>----10---+----2----+----3----+----4
****  Top of data  ****                 
E0001EMPLOYEE1      MANAGER   0000200000
E0002EMPLOYEE2      TL        0000150000
E0003EMPLOYEE3      SE        0000050000
E0004EMPLOYEE4      SSE       0000040000
E0005EMPLOYEE5      SE        0000045000
****  End of data  ****