DEL

Syntax

DEL key [key ...]

Description

The DEL command removes one or more keys from Echo DB. If a key does not exist, it is ignored. The command returns the number of keys that were actually removed.

Arguments

• key (required, one or more): The name(s) of the key(s) to delete.

Return Value

Returns an Integer: The number of keys that were removed.

Examples

Deleting a Single Key

SET mykey "value"
DEL mykey

Response:

OK
(integer) 1

Deleting Multiple Keys

SET key1 "value1"
SET key2 "value2"
SET key3 "value3"
DEL key1 key2 key3

Response:

OK
OK
OK
(integer) 3

Deleting Non-Existent Keys

DEL nonexistent1 nonexistent2

Response:

(integer) 0

Mixed Existing and Non-Existent Keys

SET key1 "value1"
DEL key1 nonexistent key2

Response:

OK
(integer) 1

Notes

• DEL works with both string and list keys
• Non-existent keys are ignored (not counted as deleted)
• The command is atomic - all specified keys are deleted in a single operation
• Returns 0 if no keys were deleted

Use Cases

• Cleanup: Remove temporary or expired data
• Cache Invalidation: Delete cached entries
• Data Management: Remove keys that are no longer needed
• Bulk Operations: Delete multiple keys at once

Related Commands

• SET - Set a key's value
• GET - Get a key's value
• EXISTS - Check if a key exists