DELETE (records) primary command

When editing a data set or data set member, the DELETE primary command deletes records.

Syntax

Figure 1. Syntax (CHAR, HEX, LHEX or TABL display format)

Notes:

¹ If none of these parameters (X, EX or NX) is specified, then the DELETE command applies to both excluded and not-excluded records.

In SNGL display format, DELETE deletes the current record.

Figure 2. Syntax (SNGL display format)

ALL: Causes the DELETE command to delete all records (or all excluded or not-excluded records) within the specified range of records (or within the entire data set, if you do not specify a range).
If you do not specify the ALL parameter, then the DELETE command deletes only the first record (or only the first excluded or not-excluded record) within the specified range.

Note: Suppressed or not-selected records that are hidden from display or represented by shadow lines are not affected by the DELETE command, even when the ALL parameter is specified.
EX: Excluded records only.
label1: Label identifying the start of a range of records. The label must start with a period (.) followed by one to four alphabetic characters (no numeric or special characters). Labels starting with the letter “Z” indicate an editor-assigned label.
label2: Label identifying the end of a range of records. The label must start with a period (.) followed by one to four alphabetic characters (no numeric or special characters). Labels starting with the letter “Z” indicate an editor-assigned label.
NX: Not-excluded records only.
X: Same as EX.