🛢DBMS: Cascade/Cascading Delete (Definitions)

"When one delete causes a delete on another table, usually to enforce referential integrity." (Owen Williams, "MCSE TestPrep: SQL Server 6.5 Design and Implementation", 1998)

"A delete operation that deletes all related database rows or columns. Cascading deletes are typically implemented using triggers or stored procedures." (Microsoft Corporation, "SQL Server 7.0 System Administration Training Kit", 1999)

"A deletion that triggers another deletion. A cascade delete may be specified for an entity bean with container-managed persistence." (Kim Haase et al, "The J2EE Tutorial", 2002)

"An operation that deletes a row containing a primary key value that is referenced by foreign key columns in existing rows in other tables." (Anthony Sequeira & Brian Alderman, "The SQL Server 2000 Book", 2003)

[cascading actions:] "Cascading delete or cascading update operations that either delete a row containing a Primary Key or updates a Primary Key value referenced by Foreign Key columns in existing rows in other tables. On a cascading delete, all the rows whose Foreign Key values reference the deleted Primary Key value are also deleted. On a cascading update, all the Foreign Key values are updated to match the new Primary Key value." (Thomas Moore, "EXAM CRAM™ 2: Designing and Implementing Databases with SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition", 2005)

"A deletion that occurs when the deletion of a master record automatically deletes all child records in child-related tables, before deleting the record in the master table." (Gavin Powell, "Beginning Database Design", 2006)

"A delete operation of a row in a parent table that automatically deletes all related rows in the child table(s)." (Marilyn Miller-White et al, "MCITP Administrator: Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005 Optimization and Maintenance 70-444", 2007)

"A referential integrity constraint on a foreign key that requires, upon deletion of a row in a table, deletion of any rows in other tables with foreign key values that point to the row in question." (David C Hay, "Data Model Patterns: A Metadata Map", 2010)

"The declaration made on a hierarchical (1:M) relationship between parent and child, that a request to delete a parent instance will also result in deleting the related child instances. Usually associated with a foreign key (which defines a hierarchical relationship), with the referring entity table (where the foreign key is stored) being the child and the referenced entity table is the parent." (DAMA International, "The DAMA Dictionary of Data Management", 2011)

"For relationships that enforce referential integrity between tables, the deletion of all related records in the related table or tables when a record in the primary table is deleted." (Microsoft, "SQL Server 2012 Glossary", 2012)

"A process by which the DB2 database manager enforces referential constraints by deleting all descendent rows of a deleted parent row." (Sybase, "Open Server Server-Library/C Reference Manual", 2019)