====== DELETE ======
/* Remove the comments after creating content for each section.*/

Removes a file from disk; or lines from a program; or an object from memory

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**Implemented by:** [[:basics:ANSI:ansifull]], [[:basics:decbasic:]], [[:basics:Altair:altair12K]], [[:basics:Applesoft:]], [[:basics:TI994:]], [[:basics:CBM:cbmv7]], [[:basics:CBM:cbmv3.5]], [[:basics:trs80:level2]], [[:basics:BBC:]], [[:basics:bwbasic:bw32]], [[:basics:ABasiC:]]

**With variations:** [[:basics:hptsb:]], [[:basics:VBDOS:]] (ISAM instruction), [[:basics:bwbasic:]], [[:basics:MSX:]], [[:basics:GWBASIC:]] (program edition), [[:basics:FreeBASIC:]] (destroy an object)

**Also written as: ** 

===== Usage =====
/* For inline examples of syntax, write the keyword between '' and '' (two single quotes) */

[[:basics:ANSI:ansifull|ECMA's FullBASIC standard]] defines DELETE as a file-related operation, even though in many commercial and popular BASICs the keyword was already in use as an edition command.


==== Variations ====

[[:basics:GWBASIC:]] and [[:basics:MSX:|MSX BASIC]] use DELETE as an editor command in order to remove a range of lines of the program in memory. Watch out: if only one line number is given, DELETE will remove every line //from there onwards//; if the line number is prefixed by "-", it will remove all lines before and including the given line. A period (.) can be used as a substitute for the last edited line.

In [[:basics:bwbasic:|Bywater BASIC]] DELETE can be used to remove one line or a range of lines of the program in memory, in a more predictable syntax:

<code locobasic>
DELETE 10

DELETE 40-100
</code>

In [[:basics:ABasiC:]] DELETE can also be used with a single line number to remove only one line. But, as the Microsoft BASICs, it also allows the use of an "-" prefix meaning every line up to the given one. 

In [[:basics:BBC|BBC BASIC]] DELETE is always used for removing a range of lines, but the initial and the final line given as arguments are separated by a comma instead of an hyphen.

In [[:basics:FreeBASIC:|FreeBASIC]]'s //-lang fb// dialect, DELETE is an operator used to destroy an object or an array of objects created with [[NEW]]:

<code freebasic>
Type Rational
    As Integer numerator, denominator
End Type

Dim p As Rational Ptr = New Rational(3, 4)

Delete p

' Set the pointer to null to guard against future accesses
p = 0



Dim p As Integer Ptr = New Integer[100]

For i As Integer = 0 To 99
    p[i] = i
Next

Delete[] p
</code>




===== Comments =====
/* Origin of the keyword, opinions, history... */


===== Related keywords =====
/* Keywords that are often or always used along this one */


===== Similar keywords =====
/* Keywords with the same or similar functionality found in other versions of BASIC */
  * [[DEL]]
  * [[ERASE]]

===== In other languages... =====
/* For parallels and comparisons with other modern-day languages */


===== References =====
/* If you used the ((citation)) syntax elsewhere in the text, they will appear under this section. But you can write some recommendations of books, magazines, etc */

* https://documentation.help/FreeBASIC/KeyPgOpDelete.html , last check 2024-06-01

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