In FoxPro the command 'DELE' is used to

Concept

In FoxPro and every xBase language, deleting a record is a two-step process. A record is never erased the instant you ask for it: it is first flagged, and only a later, separate command physically rewrites the table without the flagged rows. xBase commands may also be shortened to their first four letters, so DELE is simply the abbreviation of DELETE.

Applying it here

• DELETE (typed as DELE) sets a deletion flag on the current record (or on a range given by a scope/FOR clause). The data stays in the file and on disk.

• While only flagged, the record can still be read, and the flag can be removed with RECALL — proof that nothing has actually been erased.

• PACK is the command that physically rewrites the table, dropping every flagged record permanently. ZAP removes all rows at once.

Conclusion

Therefore DELE only marks the current record(s) for deletion; the physical removal happens later, with PACK.