DeleteAll in CakePHP 2

Introduction

In CakePHP 2, deleteAll() is a convenient method for deleting multiple rows of data from a database table. It can be used in place of delete() when deleting multiple rows is needed. It provides a single line solution to deleting multiple records in a table.

Syntax

The syntax for deleteAll() method is as follows:

$this->ModelName->deleteAll(conditions, cascade);

Where:

• conditions (optional): An array of conditions that must be met for the delete to occur. If omitted, all the records of the related model will be deleted.
• cascade (optional): If true, deletes also the related records by defined association rules. Defaults to true if not defined.

Usage

The deleteAll() method can be used in the following situations:

1. Deleting all records in a table:

   $this->ModelName->deleteAll(array());
   

2. Deleting records that match certain criteria:

   $this->ModelName->deleteAll(array('ModelName.fieldName' => 'value'));
   

3. Deleting records by multiple criteria:

   $this->ModelName->deleteAll(array('ModelName.fieldName' => 'value', 'ModelName.fieldName2' => 'value2'));
   

4. Deleting records using SQL expressions:

   $this->ModelName->deleteAll(array('field1 >=' => 'value1', 'field2 <=' => 'value2'));
   

5. Deleting records with associated records:

   $this->ModelName->deleteAll(
       array('ModelName.fieldName' => 'value'),
       true // enable cascading delete
   );
   

Conclusion

deleteAll() is a powerful method that can be used to delete multiple records from a database table quickly and easily. It provides a flexible way to delete records based on a wide range of criteria. With this method, developers can save time from writing and executing SQL queries manually.