#### 20.4.4.4 Delete Tables

 You can use the `delete()` method to remove some or all records from a table in a database. The X DevAPI provides additional methods to use with the `delete()` method to filter and order the records to be deleted.

##### Delete Records Using Conditions

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 The example that follows passes search conditions to the `delete()` method. All records matching the condition are deleted from the `city` table. In this example, one record matches the condition.

```
mysql-py> db.city.delete().where("Name = 'Olympia'")
```

##### Delete the First Record

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 To delete the first record in the city table, use the `limit()` method with a value of 1.

```
mysql-py> db.city.delete().limit(1)
```

##### Delete All Records in a Table

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 You can delete all records in a table. To do so, use the `delete()` method without specifying a search condition.

Caution

 Use care when you delete records without specifying a search condition; doing so deletes all records from the table.

##### Drop a Table

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 The `drop_collection()` method is also used in MySQL Shell to drop a relational table from a database. For example, to drop the `citytest` table from the `world_x` database, issue:

```
mysql-py> db.drop_collection("citytest")
```

##### Related Information

* See [TableDeleteFunction](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/x-devapi-userguide/en/crud-ebnf-table-crud-functions.html#crud-ebnf-tabledeletefunction) for the full syntax definition.

* See [Section 20.4.2, “Download and Import world\_x Database”](mysql-shell-tutorial-python-download.html) for instructions to recreate the `world_x` database.

