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delete()

public function delete(int $id, string $table): bool

Description

Deletes a specific record from a database table based on its ID. This method validates table existence, constructs a parameterized DELETE query, and uses prepared statements to prevent SQL injection. Returns true if the delete operation executes successfully.

Parameters

Parameter Type Description Default Required
id int The ID of the record to delete. - Yes
table string The name of the database table to delete from. - Yes

Return Value

Type Description
bool Returns true if the delete query executes successfully, false otherwise.

Exceptions

  • RuntimeException - If the specified table does not exist in the database.
  • PDOException - If there's a database error during query execution.

Example #1: Deleting a User Record

The code sample below demonstrates how to delete a user record with ID 15 from the 'users' table.

PHP
$user_id = 15;
$success = $this->db->delete($user_id, 'users');

if ($success) {
    echo "User with ID " . $user_id . " has been deleted.";
} else {
    echo "Failed to delete user.";
}

Example #2: Deleting a Product Record

The code sample below demonstrates how to delete a product from the 'products' table and handle the result.

PHP
$product_id = 42;
$table = 'products';

$deleted = $this->db->delete($product_id, $table);

if ($deleted) {
    echo "Product #" . $product_id . " has been removed from the " . $table . " table.";
} else {
    echo "Could not delete product #" . $product_id . ".";
}

Example #3: Deleting a Record with Error Handling

The code sample below demonstrates how to use try-catch when deleting a record to handle potential exceptions.

PHP
try {
    $order_id = 1001;
    $result = $this->db->delete($order_id, 'orders');
    
    if ($result) {
        echo "Order #" . $order_id . " deleted successfully.";
    } else {
        echo "Delete operation completed but may not have affected any rows.";
    }
} catch (RuntimeException $e) {
    echo "Error: " . $e->getMessage();
} catch (PDOException $e) {
    echo "Database error: " . $e->getMessage();
}

Important Notes

  • Both parameters ($id and $table) are required.
  • The method validates that the table exists before executing the DELETE query.
  • Uses prepared statements with parameter binding (:id) for security against SQL injection.
  • Returns true if the query executes successfully, even if no rows were actually deleted (e.g., if ID doesn't exist).
  • The table name in the SQL query is enclosed in backticks for safety.
  • Only deletes records where the primary key column is named 'id'.
  • If debug mode is enabled, the generated SQL query will be displayed before execution.
  • This operation is permanent - deleted records cannot be recovered through this method.
  • Consider implementing soft deletes (using a 'deleted' flag) instead of physical deletion for important data.