DBFS Content API Deletion Operations

20.9 DBFS Content API Deletion Operations

You must implement the provider SPI so that when clients invoke the DBFS Content API, it causes the SPI to delete directory, file, link, and reference elements (subject to store feature support).

By default, the deletions are permanent, and remove successfully deleted items on transaction commit. However, repositories may also support soft-delete features. If requested by the client, soft-deleted items are retained by the store. They are not, however, typically visible in normal listings or searches. Soft-deleted items may be restored or explicitly purged.

Directory path names may be recursively deleted; the path name hierarchy below a directory may be deleted in one call. Non-recursive deletions can be performed only on empty directories. Recursive soft-deletions apply the soft-delete to all of the items being deleted.

Individual path names or all soft-deleted path names under a directory may be restored or purged using the RESTOREXXX() and PURGEXXX() methods.

Providers that support filtering can use the provider filter to identify subsets of items to delete; this makes most sense for bulk operations such as deleteDirectory(), RESTOREALL(), and PURGEALL(), but all of the deletion-related operations accept a filter argument.

Stores and their providers that support contentID-based access can also allow deleting file items by specifying their contentID.