Brandur Leach personal blog
Soft deletion probably isn't worth it
The traditional soft deletion pattern using <code>deleted_at</code> columns leaks into code, curbs the usefulness of foreign keys, and makes data removal difficult. Luckily, there’s an alternative.
- Points
- 654
- HN comments
- 556
- Submissions
- 2
- Cited by
- 5 commenters
Software EngineeringDatabases & Data2022
On Hacker News
| Submitted | Title on HN | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2022 | Soft deletion probably isn't worth it by lfittl | 654 | 494 |
| Jan 9, 2024 | Soft Deletion Probably Isn't Worth It (2022) by thunderbong | 84 | 62 |
Cited in comments
Linked from 5 Hacker News comments by 5 different people, from Oct 2022 to Aug 2025.
Most recent:
