Deletiontype

Deletiontype is a conceptual designation used in data management and software systems to specify how deletion operations are handled for records or objects. It distinguishes the intended lifecycle of data after a deletion is initiated, beyond just a delete command.

The concept covers several deletion modes: soft delete, hard delete, tombstone-based deletion, archival deletion. Soft delete marks an item as deleted without removing it from storage, allowing recovery and audit trails. Hard delete physically removes the data and resets indices. Tombstoning inserts a placeholder indicating deletion to preserve referential integrity. Archival deletion moves data to an archival store before permanent removal.

Usage and implications: Deletiontype is often configured per-entity, per-collection, or per-tenant, and can be enforced by application logic, database constraints, or storage policies. It interacts with privacy and compliance requirements, such as the ability to permanently erase data or to retain data for audit purposes under legal holds. Performance and storage considerations vary by mode; soft deletes require filtering and may complicate compaction, while hard deletes can impact referential integrity and backups.

Examples: In relational databases, soft delete typically uses a boolean or timestamp deleted_at field; hard delete removes rows. In content management systems, tombstones may be used to maintain links to deleted content. In distributed systems, deletiontype may influence replication and GC.