Del (command)

{{Short description|Command in various operating systems}} {{lowercase}} {{Infobox software | name = del / erase | logo = | screenshot = ReactOS-0.4.13 del command 667x530.png | screenshot size = | caption = The ReactOS <code>del</code> command | developer = DEC, Microware, Microsoft, IBM, DR, Datalight, Novell, JP Software, ReactOS Contributors | released = | latest release version = | latest release date = | operating system = RT-11, OS/8, RSX-11, OpenVMS, DOS, OS-9, MSX-DOS, FlexOS, SISNE plus, OS/2, Windows, ReactOS, KolibriOS, SymbOS, DexOS | platform = Cross-platform | genre = Command | license = | website = }} In computing, '''<code>del</code>''' (or '''<code>erase</code>''') is a command in command-line interpreters (shells) such as <code>COMMAND.COM</code>, <code>cmd.exe</code>, 4DOS, NDOS, 4OS2, 4NT and Windows PowerShell. It is used to delete one or more files or directories from a file system.

==Implementations== The command is available for various operating systems including DOS, Microware OS-9,<ref>{{cite book|author=Paul S. Dayan|year=1992|title=The OS-9 Guru - 1 : The Facts|publisher=Galactic Industrial Limited|isbn=0-9519228-0-7}}</ref> IBM OS/2,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#ERASE |title=JaTomes Help - OS/2 Commands |access-date=2019-07-20 |archive-date=2019-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414130029/http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php#ERASE |url-status=dead }}</ref> Microsoft Windows<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/cc771049(v=ws.11)|title=Del|website=docs.microsoft.com|date=31 August 2016 }}</ref> and ReactOS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/reactos/reactos|title=reactos/reactos|website=GitHub|date=3 January 2022}}</ref> It is analogous to the Unix <code>rm</code> command and to the Stratus OpenVOS <code>delete_file</code> and <code>delete_dir</code>commands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stratadoc.stratus.com/vos/19.1.0/r098-19/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/r098-19.pdf |title=Reference manual|website=stratadoc.stratus.com |access-date=2020-09-14}}</ref>

DEC RT-11,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://paleoferrosaurus.com/beta/documents/rt11help.html#DELETE|title=RT-11 HELP FILE|website=paleoferrosaurus.com|access-date=2019-07-06|archive-date=2018-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717041552/http://paleoferrosaurus.com/beta/documents/rt11help.html#DELETE|url-status=dead}}</ref> OS/8,<ref name="OS8.HandB">"Concise Command Language" (CCL).{{cite web |url=http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/dec/pdp8/os8/OS8_Handbook_Apr1974.pdf |title=OS/8 Handbook |date=April 1974 |access-date=28 November 2017}}</ref> RSX-11,<ref>{{Cite book |title=RSX A Guide for Users |date=1987 |author=John F. Pieper |publisher=Digital Equipment Corporation |url=http://www.rsx11m.com/rsxguide.pdf |isbn=0-932376-90-8 |access-date=2020-09-19}}</ref> and OpenVMS<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itec.suny.edu/scsys/vms/OVMSDOC073/v73/6489/6489pro_005.html|title=OpenVMS User's Manual|website=www.itec.suny.edu}}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> also provide the <code>delete</code> command which can be contracted to <code>del</code>. AmigaDOS<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/1988-rugheimer-spanik-amigados-quick-reference|title=AmigaDOS quick reference|first1=Hannes|last1=Rügheimer|first2=Christian|last2=Spanik|date=September 14, 1988|publisher=Grand Rapids, Mi : Abacus|isbn=9781557550491|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> and TSC FLEX<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.flexusergroup.com/flexusergroup/pdfs/flex2um.pdf|title=FLEX 2.0 User's Manual}}</ref> provide a <code>delete</code> command as well.

The <code>erase</code> command is supported by Tim Paterson's SCP 86-DOS.<ref>{{cite book |title=86-DOS - Disk Operating System for the 8086 - User's Manual |edition=Preliminary |version=Version 0.3 |date=1980 |publisher=Seattle Computer Products, Inc. |location=Seattle, Washington, USA |url=http://www.patersontech.com/Dos/docs/86_Dos_usr_03.pdf |access-date=2019-07-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714004434/http://www.patersontech.com/dos/docs/86_Dos_usr_03.pdf |archive-date=2019-07-14}} (59 pages)</ref> On MS-DOS, the command is available in versions 1 and later.<ref name="RUNNINGMSDOS">{{Cite book|author-last=Wolverton|author-first=Van|title=Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition|date=2003|publisher=Microsoft Press|isbn=0-7356-1812-7}}</ref> It is also available in the open-source MS-DOS emulator DOSBox.

Datalight ROM-DOS also includes an implementation of the {{code|del}} and {{code|erase}} commands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.datalight.com/assets/files/ROM-DOS_Users_Guide.pdf|title=Datalight ROM-DOS User's Guide|website=www.datalight.com}}</ref>

While Digital Research DR-DOS supports <code>del</code> and <code>erase</code> as well, it also supports the shorthand form <code>era</code>, which derived from CP/M. In addition to this, the DR-DOS command processor also supports <code>delq</code>/<code>eraq</code>. These are shorthand forms for the <code>del</code>/<code>era</code>/<code>erase</code> command with an assumed <code>/Q</code> parameter (for 'Query') given as well.<ref name="drdos6userguide">[https://www.4corn.co.uk/archive/docs/DR%20DOS%206.0%20User%20Guide-opt.pdf DR DOS 6.0 User Guide Optimisation and Configuration Tips]</ref>

THEOS/OASIS<ref>[http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/phaseOneSystems/THEOS_OASIS_Users_Handbook_1985.pdf THEOS/OASIS User′s Handbook]</ref> and FlexOS<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/digitalResearch/flexos/1073-2003_FlexOS_Users_Guide_V1.3_Nov86.pdf |title=FlexOS User's Guide |date=1986 |website=www.bitsavers.org |access-date=2020-09-14 |archive-date=2019-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925131719/http://bitsavers.org/pdf/digitalResearch/flexos/1073-2003_FlexOS_Users_Guide_V1.3_Nov86.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> provide only the <code>erase</code> command.

In PowerShell, <code>del</code> and <code>erase</code> are predefined command aliases for the <code>Remove-Item</code> cmdlet which serves the same purpose.

==Syntax== <syntaxhighlight lang="doscon"> >del filename >erase filename </syntaxhighlight>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== *{{Cite book|author-last=Wolverton|author-first=Van|title=MS-DOS Commands: Microsoft Quick Reference, 4th Revised edition|date=1990|publisher=Microsoft Press|isbn=978-1556152894}} *{{Cite book|author1=Kathy Ivens|author2=Brian Proffit|year=1993|title=OS/2 Inside & Out|publisher=Osborne McGraw-Hill|isbn=978-0078818714}} *{{Cite book|first=Æleen|last=Frisch|year=2001|title=Windows 2000 Commands Pocket Reference|publisher=O'Reilly|isbn=978-0-596-00148-3}}

==External links== {{Wikibooks|Guide to Windows Commands}} *[https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/del del | Microsoft Docs]

Category:Internal DOS commands Category:MSX-DOS commands Category:OS/2 commands Category:ReactOS commands Category:Windows commands Category:Microcomputer software Category:Windows administration Category:File deletion