Delete Documents

Understanding Deletes in Append-Only Storage

OnDB performs soft deletes. When you delete a document, a new record with deleted: true is appended. The original data is preserved but excluded from query results by default.

Delete Pattern

Soft delete a document by finding it and storing a new version with deleted: true.

TypeScript

// Find the document
const user = await client.queryBuilder()
  .collection('users')
  .whereField('email').equals('alice@example.com')
  .executeUnique();

if (user) {
  // Store soft-deleted version
  await client.store(
    { collection: 'users', data: [{ ...user, deleted: true, deletedAt: new Date().toISOString() }] },
    async (quote) => {
      const txHash = await processPayment(quote);
      return { txHash, network: quote.network, sender: walletAddress, chainType: quote.chainType, paymentMethod: 'native' };
    },
    true
  );
  console.log('Deleted user');
} else {
  console.log('User not found');
}

How Deletes Work

Original Record (Block 100):
{ id: "user_1", name: "Alice", email: "alice@example.com", deleted: false }

After Delete (Block 101):
{ id: "user_1", deleted: true, deletedAt: "2024-01-02", updatedAt: "2024-01-02" }

Original record is preserved, but queries exclude deleted records

Examples

Delete by ID

TypeScript

const post = await client.queryBuilder()
  .collection('posts')
  .whereField('id').equals('post_123')
  .executeUnique();

if (post) {
  await client.store(
    { collection: 'posts', data: [{ ...post, deleted: true, deletedAt: new Date().toISOString() }] },
    paymentCallback,
    true
  );
  console.log('Post deleted successfully');
} else {
  console.log('Post not found');
}

Conditional Delete Pattern

TypeScript

// First verify ownership or permissions
const post = await client.queryBuilder()
  .collection('posts')
  .whereField('id').equals('post_123')
  .executeUnique();

if (post && post.author === currentUser.id) {
  await client.store(
    { collection: 'posts', data: [{ ...post, deleted: true, deletedAt: new Date().toISOString() }] },
    paymentCallback,
    true
  );
  console.log('Post deleted');
} else {
  console.log('Unauthorized or not found');
}

Verifying Deletion

After deletion, the document won’t appear in normal queries:

TypeScript

// Delete a user
const user = await client.queryBuilder()
  .collection('users')
  .whereField('id').equals('user_123')
  .executeUnique();

if (user) {
  await client.store(
    { collection: 'users', data: [{ ...user, deleted: true, deletedAt: new Date().toISOString() }] },
    paymentCallback,
    true
  );
}

// executeUnique returns null for deleted documents
const deleted = await client.queryBuilder()
  .collection('users')
  .whereField('id').equals('user_123')
  .executeUnique();
console.log(deleted); // null

Data Retention

Since OnDB uses append-only storage:

Aspect	Behavior
Original data	Remains on blockchain permanently
Query results	Exclude deleted records by default
Audit trail	Full history is preserved
Recovery	Possible by querying historical records

Bulk Delete Pattern

For deleting multiple documents, query and delete each:

TypeScript

const result = await client.queryBuilder()
  .collection('users')
  .whereField('active').isFalse()
  .execute();

for (const user of result.records) {
  await client.store(
    { collection: 'users', data: [{ ...user, deleted: true, deletedAt: new Date().toISOString() }] },
    paymentCallback,
    true
  );
}

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Querying Data

CRUD Operations

Payments

Advanced

AI Tools

Understanding Deletes in Append-Only Storage

Delete Pattern

How Deletes Work

Examples

Delete by ID

Conditional Delete Pattern

Verifying Deletion

Data Retention

Bulk Delete Pattern

Next Steps

CRUD Overview

Query Builder

​Understanding Deletes in Append-Only Storage

​Delete Pattern

​How Deletes Work

​Examples

​Delete by ID

​Conditional Delete Pattern

​Verifying Deletion

​Data Retention

​Bulk Delete Pattern

​Next Steps

CRUD Overview

Query Builder

Understanding Deletes in Append-Only Storage

Delete Pattern

How Deletes Work

Examples

Delete by ID

Conditional Delete Pattern

Verifying Deletion

Data Retention

Bulk Delete Pattern

Next Steps