The file you want to delete cannot be open when DELETE FILE is issued. The file name must include a path if it is on a different drive or volume, or in a different directory from the default. A file name extension must be included.

If the file you want to delete represents a table that is part of a database, you need to remove the table from the database before deleting the file. You can use the REMOVE TABLE command before using the DELETE FILE command. If you delete a table that has an associated .FPT memo file, be sure to delete the memo file.

This command does not generate an error if the specified file does not exist.

The DELETE FILE command is the same as the ERASE command.

In the following example, the structure of Customer.dbf and all records in which the country equals USA are copied to a table named backup. The data in backup is then copied to a text file, temp, which is opened and then deleted once closed.

CLOSE DATABASES
OPEN DATABASE (HOME(2) + 'Data\testdata')
USE customer  && Opens Customer table

COPY STRUCTURE TO backup
USE backup
APPEND FROM customer FOR country = 'USA'
COPY TO temp TYPE DELIMITED

WAIT WINDOW 'Press Esc to close and erase temp.txt' NOWAIT
MODIFY FILE temp.txt NOEDIT
DELETE FILE temp.txt
? IIF(FILE('temp.txt'),'File not deleted','File deleted')
USE
DELETE FILE backup.dbf

Reference

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