massDelete

Command: massDelete
Category: Mass Operations
Status: Production Ready

Description

Bulk delete operations with filtering. This command allows you to delete multiple database objects at once based on pattern matching and filtering criteria. It's designed for cleanup tasks, schema migrations, and bulk maintenance operations.

Use Cases

Development Cleanup: Remove temporary tables and test objects
Schema Migration: Delete deprecated objects in bulk
Pattern-based Cleanup: Remove objects matching naming patterns
Type-specific Deletion: Delete all objects of a specific type
Testing: Use dry-run mode to preview deletions safely

Safety Features

Dry Run Mode: Preview what would be deleted without making changes
Confirmation Prompts: Confirms dangerous operations unless forced
Limit Protection: Default limit of 1000 objects prevents accidental mass deletion
System Object Protection: Excludes system objects by default
Logging: Optional log file for tracking bulk operations

Syntax

bash

hana-cli massDelete [schema] [object] [options]

Aliases

md
massdelete
massDel
massdel

Command Diagram

Parameters

Positional Arguments

Parameter	Type	Description
`schema`	string	Schema name containing the objects to delete
`object`	string	Object name or pattern (supports wildcards: `%` for any, `_` for single char)

Options

Option	Alias	Type	Default	Description
`--schema`	`-s`	string	-	Schema name containing the objects to delete
`--object`	`-o`	string	-	Object name or pattern. Supports SQL wildcards (`%`, `_`)
`--objectType`	`-t`, `--type`	string	-	Filter by object type: `TABLE`, `VIEW`, `PROCEDURE`, `FUNCTION`, `SEQUENCE`
`--limit`	`-l`	number	`1000`	Maximum number of objects to delete (safety limit)
`--includeSystem`	`-i`, `--system`	boolean	`false`	Include system objects in deletion (use with extreme caution)
`--dryRun`	`--dr`, `--preview`	boolean	`false`	Preview mode - show what would be deleted without making changes
`--force`	`-f`	boolean	`false`	Skip confirmation prompts and execute immediately
`--log`	-	boolean	`false`	Write progress log to file instead of stopping on first error

Connection Parameters

Option	Alias	Type	Default	Description
`--admin`	`-a`	boolean	`false`	Connect via admin (default-env-admin.json)
`--conn`	-	string	-	Connection filename to override default-env.json

Troubleshooting

Option	Alias	Type	Default	Description
`--disableVerbose`	`--quiet`	boolean	`false`	Disable verbose output - removes all extra output that is only helpful to human readable interface
`--debug`	`-d`	boolean	`false`	Debug hana-cli itself by adding output of LOTS of intermediate details

For a complete list of parameters and options, use:

bash

hana-cli massDelete --help

Examples

Safe Preview (Recommended First Step)

bash

hana-cli massDelete --schema MYSCHEMA --object % --objectType TABLE --dryRun

Preview all tables in MYSCHEMA that would be deleted. No actual changes are made.

Delete Test Tables

bash

hana-cli massDelete --schema DEV_SCHEMA --object "TEST_%" --objectType TABLE

Delete all tables starting with TEST_ in DEV_SCHEMA. Will prompt for confirmation.

Delete Without Confirmation

bash

hana-cli massDelete --schema TEMP_SCHEMA --object % --force

Delete all objects in TEMP_SCHEMA without confirmation prompt. Use with caution!

Delete with Limit

bash

hana-cli massDelete --schema DATA_SCHEMA --object "OLD_%"  --limit 50

Delete up to 50 objects matching the pattern OLD_%. Safety limit prevents accidental mass deletion.

Delete Specific Object Type

bash

hana-cli massDelete --schema MYSCHEMA --object "%" --objectType VIEW --dryRun

Preview deletion of all views in MYSCHEMA.

Delete with Logging

bash

hana-cli massDelete --schema CLEANUP_SCHEMA --object % --log --force

Delete all objects and write progress log to file. Continues on errors instead of stopping.

Shorthand syntax using positional arguments (schema and object pattern).

Complex Pattern Matching

bash

hana-cli massDelete --schema ANALYTICS --object "%_STAGING_%"  --objectType TABLE

Delete all tables containing _STAGING_ anywhere in their name.

Wildcard Patterns

The --object parameter supports SQL wildcard patterns:

Pattern	Matches	Example	Result
`%`	Any sequence of characters	`TEST_%`	`TEST_A`, `TEST_DATA`, `TEST_123`
`_`	Any single character	`TEST_`	`TEST_A`, `TEST_1` (not `TEST_AB`)
`%ABC%`	Contains ABC	`%_TEMP_%`	`MY_TEMP_TABLE`, `OLD_TEMP_DATA`

Best Practices

1. Always Start with Dry Run

bash

# First: Preview
hana-cli massDelete --schema MYSCHEMA --object "%" --dryRun

# Then: Execute if results look correct
hana-cli massDelete --schema MYSCHEMA --object "%"

2. Use Specific Patterns

bash

# ❌ Too broad
hana-cli massDelete --schema PROD --object %

# ✅ Specific and safe
hana-cli massDelete --schema PROD --object "TEMP_2024_%"

3. Set Conservative Limits

bash

# Delete in batches
hana-cli massDelete --schema MYSCHEMA --object "OLD_%" --limit 100

4. Use Logging for Large Operations

bash

# Continue on errors and keep log
hana-cli massDelete --schema MYSCHEMA --object % --log

5. Back Up Before Major Deletions

Always back up your schema before performing bulk deletions in production environments.

Safety Warnings

⚠️ CAUTION: Mass delete operations are irreversible!

Never use % wildcard alone in production without thorough testing
Always verify object names with --dryRun first
System objects are excluded by default for safety
The default limit of 1000 objects prevents accidental mass operations
Use --log option for large operations to track progress

Output

The command displays:

Number of objects matching the criteria
List of objects that will be / were deleted
Confirmation prompt (unless --force is used)
Success/failure status for each deletion
Final summary count

In --dryRun mode:

text

Running in DRY RUN mode - no changes will be made

Objects that would be deleted:
  - MYSCHEMA.TEST_TABLE1
  - MYSCHEMA.TEST_TABLE2
  - MYSCHEMA.TEST_VIEW1

Dry run completed - no changes were made
Total: 3 objects would be deleted

In execution mode:

text

Are you sure you want to delete 3 objects? This cannot be undone!
Confirm (y/N): y

Deleting Objects:
  ✓ MYSCHEMA.TEST_TABLE1
  ✓ MYSCHEMA.TEST_TABLE2
  ✓ MYSCHEMA.TEST_VIEW1

Successfully deleted 3 objects

massExport - Export multiple objects before deletion
massConvert - Convert objects to different formats
massUpdate - Bulk update operations
massRename - Rename database objects
objects - Search and list database objects

See the Commands Reference for other commands in this category.

massDelete ​

Description ​

Use Cases ​

Safety Features ​

Syntax ​

Aliases ​

Command Diagram ​

Parameters ​

Positional Arguments ​

Options ​

Connection Parameters ​

Troubleshooting ​

Examples ​

Safe Preview (Recommended First Step) ​

Delete Test Tables ​

Delete Without Confirmation ​

Delete with Limit ​

Delete Specific Object Type ​

Delete with Logging ​

Complex Pattern Matching ​

Wildcard Patterns ​

Best Practices ​

1. Always Start with Dry Run ​

2. Use Specific Patterns ​

3. Set Conservative Limits ​

4. Use Logging for Large Operations ​

5. Back Up Before Major Deletions ​

Safety Warnings ​

Output ​

Related Commands ​

See Also ​

massDelete

Description

Use Cases

Safety Features

Syntax

Aliases

Command Diagram

Parameters

Positional Arguments

Options

Connection Parameters

Troubleshooting

Examples

Safe Preview (Recommended First Step)

Delete Test Tables

Delete Without Confirmation

Delete with Limit

Delete Specific Object Type

Delete with Logging

Complex Pattern Matching

Wildcard Patterns

Best Practices

1. Always Start with Dry Run

2. Use Specific Patterns

3. Set Conservative Limits

4. Use Logging for Large Operations

5. Back Up Before Major Deletions

Safety Warnings

Output

Related Commands

See Also