`delete` — Remove files in MATLAB and RunMat.

delete(filename) removes files without producing a MATLAB-facing output, while delete(obj) invalidates handle objects or listeners. delete(___, "ResolveSymbolicLinks", tf) controls whether a symbolic-link filename removes the link or its target.

Syntax

delete(filename)
delete(filename1, filename2, ...)
delete(___, ResolveSymbolicLinks=tf)

Inputs

Name	Type	Required	Default	Description
`filename`	`Any`	Yes	—	Filename/pattern string, string array, char matrix, cell array of path strings, or handle input.
`filename1`	`Any`	Yes	—	First filename/pattern/handle input.
`filenameN`	`Any`	Variadic	—	Additional filename/pattern/handle inputs.
`filename`	`Any`	Yes	—	Filename, filename collection, or wildcard pattern.
`ResolveSymbolicLinks`	`StringScalar`	Yes	—	Name of the symbolic-link resolution option.
`tf`	`Any`	Yes	`false`	Scalar logical or numeric zero/one selecting link-target deletion.

Errors

Identifier	When	Message
`RunMat:delete:InvalidInput`	Input arguments are missing or contain unsupported filename value types.	`delete: invalid input`
`RunMat:delete:InvalidHandle`	Handle deletion inputs are mixed with filename inputs or contain unsupported handle values.	`delete: invalid handle input`
`RunMat:delete:EmptyFilename`	A filename input is empty after trimming.	`delete: filename cannot be empty`
`RunMat:delete:InvalidPattern`	Wildcard pattern parsing or structure validation fails.	`delete: invalid wildcard pattern`
`RunMat:DELETE:FileNotFound`	Target path does not exist or pattern matches no files.	`delete: file not found`
`RunMat:delete:Directories`	Target path is a directory instead of a file.	`delete: cannot delete directories`
`RunMat:DELETE:PermissionDenied`	Underlying filesystem operation fails while deleting files.	`delete: filesystem deletion failed`

How `delete` works

Accepts individual paths, string arrays, cell arrays of character vectors, and char matrices. Each element targets one file.
Accepts handle objects (handle) and event listeners, marking them invalid (isvalid returns false) without touching the filesystem when invoked with non-string inputs.
Expands shell-style wildcards (* and ?) using MATLAB-compatible rules. Patterns must resolve to existing files; otherwise, the builtin throws RunMat:DELETE:FileNotFound.
Rejects folders. When a target is a directory, RunMat raises RunMat:DELETE:Directories, matching MATLAB’s “Use rmdir to remove directories” diagnostic.
Propagates operating-system failures (for example, permission errors or read-only files) through RunMat:DELETE:PermissionDenied.
Expands ~ to the user’s home directory and resolves relative paths against the current working folder (pwd).
Treats empty character vectors or empty string scalars as invalid inputs and raises RunMat:DELETE:EmptyFilename.
When passed an empty string array or empty cell array, the builtin performs no action and returns without error, just like MATLAB.
ResolveSymbolicLinks accepts scalar logical values or exact numeric zero/one, including all eight integer classes. False removes the link itself; true removes the resolved file or empty-folder target and leaves the link. The option is rejected for handle deletion.
Multiple targets are processed sequentially. If a later target fails, earlier successful deletions are not rolled back.

Does RunMat run `delete` on the GPU?

delete performs host-side filesystem I/O. Acceleration providers do not implement a delete hook, and resident arguments are rejected without a download.

GPU memory and residency

No. delete executes on the CPU and rejects resident arguments before provider or filesystem access.

Examples

Deleting a single temporary file

fname = "scratch.txt";
fid = fopen(fname, "w");
fclose(fid);
delete(fname)

Removing multiple files with a wildcard pattern

logs = ["log-01.txt", "log-02.txt"];
for i = 1:numel(logs)
    fid = fopen(logs(i), "w");
    fclose(fid);
end
for i = 1:numel(logs)
    delete(logs(i));
end

Deleting files listed in a string array

files = ["stageA.dat", "stageB.dat"];
for i = 1:numel(files)
    fid = fopen(files(i), "w");
    fclose(fid);
end
delete(files)

Handling missing files safely with try/catch

try
    delete("missing-file.txt");
catch err
    disp(err.identifier)
    disp(err.message)
end

Cleaning up build artifacts stored under your home folder

delete("~/runmat/build/*.o")

Deleting char-matrix filenames generated programmatically

names = char("stage1.tmp", "stage2.tmp");
for row = 1:size(names, 1)
    fname = strtrim(names(row, :));
    fid = fopen(fname, "w");
    fclose(fid);
end
delete(names)

Deleting graphics handles after use

fig = figure;
delete(fig);
tf = isvalid(fig)

Expected output:

tf =
     0

Using `delete` with coding agents

Open a RunMat example with live inputs, then ask the agent to explain how delete changes the result.

Run a small delete example, explain the result, then change one input and compare the output.

FAQ

What message IDs does delete produce?⌄

Missing files raise RunMat:DELETE:FileNotFound, directories raise RunMat:DELETE:Directories, wildcard syntax issues raise RunMat:DELETE:InvalidPattern, operating-system failures raise RunMat:DELETE:PermissionDenied, and invalid handle inputs raise RunMat:DELETE:InvalidHandle.

Can I delete folders with delete?⌄

No. MATLAB reserves folder deletion for rmdir. RunMat follows suit and throws RunMat:DELETE:Directories when a target is a directory.

Does delete support multiple filenames at once?⌄

Yes. Pass a string array, a cell array of character vectors, or a char matrix. Each element is deleted in turn.

How are wildcard patterns resolved?⌄

RunMat uses MATLAB-compatible globbing: * matches any sequence, ? matches a single character, and the pattern is evaluated relative to the current folder (pwd) unless you pass an absolute path.

What happens when a wildcard matches nothing?⌄

The builtin raises RunMat:DELETE:FileNotFound (just like MATLAB) and leaves the filesystem unchanged.

Do empty arrays raise errors?⌄

Empty string arrays or empty cell arrays simply result in no deletions. Empty strings, however, are invalid and trigger RunMat:DELETE:EmptyFilename.

How do GPU inputs behave?⌄

Resident inputs are rejected before provider or filesystem access. Paths and control values must already be host values.

Does delete preserve symbolic links?⌄

By default, deleting a symbolic link removes the link itself. Set ResolveSymbolicLinks to logical true or exact numeric one to remove the resolved target instead; the link then remains.

Can I detect failures programmatically?⌄

Wrap the call in try/catch and inspect err.identifier and err.message just as you would in MATLAB.

Will delete follow relative paths updated by cd?⌄

Yes. Paths are interpreted using the process working directory, so calling cd before delete mirrors MATLAB’s behaviour.

Open-source implementation

Unlike proprietary runtimes, every RunMat function is open-source. Read exactly how delete is executed, line by line, in Rust.

View the source for delete in Rust on GitHub
Learn how the RunMat runtime works
Found a bug? Open an issue with a minimal reproduction.

About RunMat

RunMat is an open-source runtime that executes MATLAB-syntax code blazing on any GPU. It is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license.

RunMat automatically optimizes your math for GPU execution on Apple, Nvidia, and AMD hardware. No code changes needed. Simulations that took hours now take minutes.
Start running code in seconds. RunMat runs in the browser, on the desktop, or from the CLI. No license server, no IT ticket.

Getting started · Benchmarks · Pricing

`delete` — Remove files in MATLAB and RunMat.

Syntax

delete(filename)
delete(filename1, filename2, ...)
delete(___, ResolveSymbolicLinks=tf)

Inputs

Name	Type	Required	Default	Description
`filename`	`Any`	Yes	—	Filename/pattern string, string array, char matrix, cell array of path strings, or handle input.
`filename1`	`Any`	Yes	—	First filename/pattern/handle input.
`filenameN`	`Any`	Variadic	—	Additional filename/pattern/handle inputs.
`filename`	`Any`	Yes	—	Filename, filename collection, or wildcard pattern.
`ResolveSymbolicLinks`	`StringScalar`	Yes	—	Name of the symbolic-link resolution option.
`tf`	`Any`	Yes	`false`	Scalar logical or numeric zero/one selecting link-target deletion.

Errors

Identifier	When	Message
`RunMat:delete:InvalidInput`	Input arguments are missing or contain unsupported filename value types.	`delete: invalid input`
`RunMat:delete:InvalidHandle`	Handle deletion inputs are mixed with filename inputs or contain unsupported handle values.	`delete: invalid handle input`
`RunMat:delete:EmptyFilename`	A filename input is empty after trimming.	`delete: filename cannot be empty`
`RunMat:delete:InvalidPattern`	Wildcard pattern parsing or structure validation fails.	`delete: invalid wildcard pattern`
`RunMat:DELETE:FileNotFound`	Target path does not exist or pattern matches no files.	`delete: file not found`
`RunMat:delete:Directories`	Target path is a directory instead of a file.	`delete: cannot delete directories`
`RunMat:DELETE:PermissionDenied`	Underlying filesystem operation fails while deleting files.	`delete: filesystem deletion failed`

How `delete` works

Accepts individual paths, string arrays, cell arrays of character vectors, and char matrices. Each element targets one file.
Accepts handle objects (handle) and event listeners, marking them invalid (isvalid returns false) without touching the filesystem when invoked with non-string inputs.
Expands shell-style wildcards (* and ?) using MATLAB-compatible rules. Patterns must resolve to existing files; otherwise, the builtin throws RunMat:DELETE:FileNotFound.
Rejects folders. When a target is a directory, RunMat raises RunMat:DELETE:Directories, matching MATLAB’s “Use rmdir to remove directories” diagnostic.
Propagates operating-system failures (for example, permission errors or read-only files) through RunMat:DELETE:PermissionDenied.
Expands ~ to the user’s home directory and resolves relative paths against the current working folder (pwd).
Treats empty character vectors or empty string scalars as invalid inputs and raises RunMat:DELETE:EmptyFilename.
When passed an empty string array or empty cell array, the builtin performs no action and returns without error, just like MATLAB.
ResolveSymbolicLinks accepts scalar logical values or exact numeric zero/one, including all eight integer classes. False removes the link itself; true removes the resolved file or empty-folder target and leaves the link. The option is rejected for handle deletion.
Multiple targets are processed sequentially. If a later target fails, earlier successful deletions are not rolled back.

Does RunMat run `delete` on the GPU?

delete performs host-side filesystem I/O. Acceleration providers do not implement a delete hook, and resident arguments are rejected without a download.

GPU memory and residency

No. delete executes on the CPU and rejects resident arguments before provider or filesystem access.

Examples

Deleting a single temporary file

fname = "scratch.txt";
fid = fopen(fname, "w");
fclose(fid);
delete(fname)

Removing multiple files with a wildcard pattern

logs = ["log-01.txt", "log-02.txt"];
for i = 1:numel(logs)
    fid = fopen(logs(i), "w");
    fclose(fid);
end
for i = 1:numel(logs)
    delete(logs(i));
end

Deleting files listed in a string array

files = ["stageA.dat", "stageB.dat"];
for i = 1:numel(files)
    fid = fopen(files(i), "w");
    fclose(fid);
end
delete(files)

Handling missing files safely with try/catch

try
    delete("missing-file.txt");
catch err
    disp(err.identifier)
    disp(err.message)
end

Cleaning up build artifacts stored under your home folder

delete("~/runmat/build/*.o")

Deleting char-matrix filenames generated programmatically

names = char("stage1.tmp", "stage2.tmp");
for row = 1:size(names, 1)
    fname = strtrim(names(row, :));
    fid = fopen(fname, "w");
    fclose(fid);
end
delete(names)

Deleting graphics handles after use

fig = figure;
delete(fig);
tf = isvalid(fig)

Expected output:

tf =
     0

Using `delete` with coding agents

Open a RunMat example with live inputs, then ask the agent to explain how delete changes the result.

Run a small delete example, explain the result, then change one input and compare the output.

FAQ

What message IDs does delete produce?⌄

Can I delete folders with delete?⌄

No. MATLAB reserves folder deletion for rmdir. RunMat follows suit and throws RunMat:DELETE:Directories when a target is a directory.

Does delete support multiple filenames at once?⌄

Yes. Pass a string array, a cell array of character vectors, or a char matrix. Each element is deleted in turn.

How are wildcard patterns resolved?⌄

RunMat uses MATLAB-compatible globbing: * matches any sequence, ? matches a single character, and the pattern is evaluated relative to the current folder (pwd) unless you pass an absolute path.

What happens when a wildcard matches nothing?⌄

The builtin raises RunMat:DELETE:FileNotFound (just like MATLAB) and leaves the filesystem unchanged.

Do empty arrays raise errors?⌄

Empty string arrays or empty cell arrays simply result in no deletions. Empty strings, however, are invalid and trigger RunMat:DELETE:EmptyFilename.

How do GPU inputs behave?⌄

Resident inputs are rejected before provider or filesystem access. Paths and control values must already be host values.

Does delete preserve symbolic links?⌄

By default, deleting a symbolic link removes the link itself. Set ResolveSymbolicLinks to logical true or exact numeric one to remove the resolved target instead; the link then remains.

Can I detect failures programmatically?⌄

Wrap the call in try/catch and inspect err.identifier and err.message just as you would in MATLAB.

Will delete follow relative paths updated by cd?⌄

Yes. Paths are interpreted using the process working directory, so calling cd before delete mirrors MATLAB’s behaviour.

Repl Fs

Net

accept · read · readline · tcpclient · tcpserver · write

Tabular

Audio

audioinfo · audioread

Io

clc · diary · disp · display · format · input

Filetext

fclose · feof · fgetl · fgets · fileread · filewrite · fopen · fprintf · fread · frewind · fwrite · readlines · writelines

Hdf5

h5disp · h5info · h5read · h5write · h5writeatt · hdf5info · hdf5read · hdf5write

Import

importdata · textscan

Json

jsondecode · jsonencode

Mat

load · matfile · save

Http

sendmail · urldecode · urlencode · weboptions · webread · websave · webwrite

Open-source implementation

Unlike proprietary runtimes, every RunMat function is open-source. Read exactly how delete is executed, line by line, in Rust.

View the source for delete in Rust on GitHub
Learn how the RunMat runtime works
Found a bug? Open an issue with a minimal reproduction.

About RunMat

RunMat is an open-source runtime that executes MATLAB-syntax code blazing on any GPU. It is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license.

RunMat automatically optimizes your math for GPU execution on Apple, Nvidia, and AMD hardware. No code changes needed. Simulations that took hours now take minutes.
Start running code in seconds. RunMat runs in the browser, on the desktop, or from the CLI. No license server, no IT ticket.

Getting started · Benchmarks · Pricing

delete — Remove files in MATLAB and RunMat.

Syntax

Inputs

Errors

How delete works

Does RunMat run delete on the GPU?

GPU memory and residency

Examples

Deleting a single temporary file

Removing multiple files with a wildcard pattern

Deleting files listed in a string array

Handling missing files safely with try/catch

Cleaning up build artifacts stored under your home folder

Deleting char-matrix filenames generated programmatically

Deleting graphics handles after use

Using delete with coding agents

FAQ

Related Io functions

Repl Fs

Net

Tabular

Audio

Io

Filetext

Archive

Hdf5

Import

Json

Mat

Http

Open-source implementation

About RunMat

Download RunMat

delete — Remove files in MATLAB and RunMat.

Syntax

Inputs

Errors

How delete works

Does RunMat run delete on the GPU?

GPU memory and residency

Examples

Deleting a single temporary file

Removing multiple files with a wildcard pattern

Deleting files listed in a string array

Handling missing files safely with try/catch

Cleaning up build artifacts stored under your home folder

Deleting char-matrix filenames generated programmatically

Deleting graphics handles after use

Using delete with coding agents

FAQ

Related Io functions

Repl Fs

Net

Tabular

Audio

Io

Filetext

Archive

Hdf5

Import

Json

Mat

Http

Open-source implementation

About RunMat

Download RunMat

`delete` — Remove files in MATLAB and RunMat.

How `delete` works

Does RunMat run `delete` on the GPU?

Using `delete` with coding agents

`delete` — Remove files in MATLAB and RunMat.

How `delete` works

Does RunMat run `delete` on the GPU?

Using `delete` with coding agents