VMS Help EXCHANGE, DELETE  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    Deletes one or more files from a foreign block-addressable mass
    storage volume. EXCHANGE does not delete files from Files-11
    volumes; the DELETE command is supported only on RT-11 volumes.

    Format

      DELETE  file-spec[, . . . ]

1 - Parameter

 file-spec[, . . . ]

    Specifies the names of one or more files to be deleted. You can
    specify wildcard characters in any of the file specification
    fields.

    To delete more than one file, separate the file specifications
    with commas or plus signs.

    The DELETE command does not delete a file with the SYS type
    unless you specify the /SYSTEM qualifier. EXCHANGE displays a
    message if it passes over one or more SYS files during a delete
    operation.

    EXCHANGE does not delete files with the type BAD if the file
    specification contains wildcards. When this happens, you will not
    receive a warning. Therefore, to delete files with the type BAD,
    enter their file specifications explicitly.

2 - Qualifiers

 2.1 - /LOG

       /LOG
       /NOLOG

    Controls whether the DELETE command displays the file
    specification of each deleted file. The default is /NOLOG.

 2.2 - /SYSTEM

       /SYSTEM
       /NOSYSTEM

    Controls whether the DELETE command deletes files with the file
    type .SYS. Files with the type .SYS are usually necessary for
    the operation of an RT-11 system. Only RT-11 volumes handle .SYS
    files in this manner.

    The default is /NOSYSTEM; the DELETE command does not delete
    an RT-11 file with the .SYS type, whether matched by a wildcard
    specification or explicitly named. EXCHANGE displays a message
    whenever it skips a SYS file during a delete operation.

 2.3 - /VOLUME_FORMAT

       /VOLUME_FORMAT=option

    Defines the physical format of the volume to be processed. RT-
    11 volumes are the only volumes on which DELETE is currently
    supported.

3 - Examples

    1.EXCHANGE> DELETE DMA0:COMMON.SUM/VOLUME_FORMAT=RT11

      The command in this example deletes the file COMMON.SUM from
      the RT-11 device DMA0.

    2.EXCHANGE> DELETE DXA0:*.OLD

      The command in this example deletes all files with the file
      type OLD from the diskette.

    3.EXCHANGE> MOUNT /VIRTUAL TEST: TEST.DSK/VOLUME_FORMAT=RT11

      EXCHANGE> DELETE TEST:ALPHA.TXT,BETA.TXT

      The command in this example deletes the files ALPHA.TXT and
      BETA.TXT from the virtual device file TEST.DSK.