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Delete Rows

Summary

Deletes all or the selected subset of rows from the input.

If the input rows are from a feature class or table, all rows will be deleted. If the input rows are from a layer or table view with no selection, all rows will be deleted.

Usage

  • The Input Rows parameter can be an INFO or dBASE table, ArcSDE, file, or personal geodatabase table or feature class, shapefile, layer, or table view.

  • If this tool is used on feature data, the entire row, including the geometry, will be deleted.

  • If a layer or table view is input, and the layer or table view does not have a selection, all rows will be deleted. If a table is input, all rows will be deleted.

  • When working in ArcMap and using a layer or table view with a selection as input, using this tool in an edit session will allow for the Delete Rows operation to be undone using undo/redo.

Syntax

DeleteRows_management (in_rows)
ParameterExplanationData Type
in_rows

The feature class, layer, table, or table view whose rows will be deleted.

Table View

Code sample

DeleteRows example 1 (Python window)

The following Python window script demonstrates how to use the DeleteRows function in immediate mode.

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data"
arcpy.CopyRows_management("accident.dbf", "C:/output/accident2.dbf")
arcpy.DeleteRows_management("C:/output/accident2.dbf")
DeleteRows example 2 (stand-alone script)

The following stand-alone script demonstrates how to use the DeleteRows function to delete rows based on an expression.

# Name: DeleteRows_Example2.py
# Description: Delete rows from a table based on an expression
 
# Import system modules
import arcpy

try: 
    # Set environment settings
    arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data"
 
    # Set local variables
    inTable = "accident.dbf"
    outTable = "C:/output/new_accident.dbf"
    tempTableView = "accidentTableView"
    expression = arcpy.AddFieldDelimiters(tempTableView, "Measure") + " = 0"
 
    # Execute CopyRows to make a new copy of the table
    arcpy.CopyRows_management(inTable, outTable)
 
    # Execute MakeTableView
    arcpy.MakeTableView_management(outTable, tempTableView)
 
    # Execute SelectLayerByAttribute to determine which rows to delete
    arcpy.SelectLayerByAttribute_management(tempTableView, "NEW_SELECTION", expression)
 
    # Execute GetCount and if some features have been selected, then execute
    #  DeleteRows to remove the selected rows.
    if int(arcpy.GetCount_management(tempTableView).getOutput(0)) > 0:
        arcpy.DeleteRows_management(tempTableView)
         
except Exception as err:
    print(err.args[0])

Environments

Licensing information

  • ArcGIS for Desktop Basic: Yes
  • ArcGIS for Desktop Standard: Yes
  • ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced: Yes

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