DB->remove()
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## DB->remove()

    #include <db.h>

    int
    DB->remove(DB *db,
        const char *file, const char *database, u_int32_t flags);

The `DB->remove()` method removes the database specified by the file and database parameters. If no database is specified, the underlying file represented by file is removed, incidentally removing all of the databases it contained.

Applications should never remove databases with open DB handles, or in the case of removing a file, when any database in the file has an open handle. For example, some architectures do not permit the removal of files with open system handles. On these architectures, attempts to remove databases currently in use by any thread of control in the system may fail.

The `DB->remove()` method should not be called if the remove is intended to be transactionally safe; the DB_ENV->dbremove() method should be used instead.

The `DB->remove()` method may not be called after calling the DB->open() method on any DB handle. If the DB->open() method has already been called on a DB handle, close the existing handle and create a new one before calling `DB->remove. ()`

The DB handle may not be accessed again after `DB->remove()` is called, regardless of its return.

The `DB->remove()` method returns a non-zero error value on failure and 0 on success.

### Parameters

#### database

The database parameter is the database to be removed.

#### file

The file parameter is the physical file which contains the database(s) to be removed.

### Environment Variables

If the database was opened within a database environment, the environment variable `DB_HOME` may be used as the path of the database environment home.

`DB->remove()` is affected by any database directory specified using the DB_ENV->set_data_dir() method, or by setting the "set_data_dir" string in the environment's DB_CONFIG file.

### Errors

The `DB->remove()` method may fail and return one of the following non-zero errors:

#### EINVAL

If the method was called after DB->open() was called; or if an invalid flag value or parameter was specified.

#### ENOENT

The file or directory does not exist.

### Class

DB

### See Also

Database and Related Methods

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