# Removing Elements and Attributes With the delete Operator

You can use the delete operator to remove specified elements and attributes, as shown in the following example.

    /* Declare an XML variable with a literal XML value. */
    var xmlEmployees = <employees>
        <employee id="111111111">
            <firstname>John</firstname>
            <lastname>Walton</lastname>
            <age>25</age>
        </employee>
        <employee id="222222222">
            <firstname>Sue</firstname>
            <lastname>Day</lastname>
            <age>32</age>
        </employee>
    </employees>;
    /*
     * Remove the information about John.
     */

    delete xmlEmployees.employees.employee[0];

    /*
     * Remove the entire <employees> node, leaving an empty XML variable.
     */

    delete xmlEmployees.employees;

Note that when using delete with a path that ends with a filter predicate, you must append the thisXML property, as in the following example:

    /*
     * A delete operation with a predicate expression must end with the thisXML property.

     */
    delete xmlEmployees.employees.employee.(firstname == "John").thisXML;

Related Topics

Filtering Multiple Children With Predicates