Method delete

pandas/io/pytables.py:4709–4767

(
        self, where=None, start: int | None = None, stop: int | None = None
    )

            self.table.flush()

    def delete(
        self, where=None, start: int | None = None, stop: int | None = None
    ) -> int | None:
        # delete all rows (and return the nrows)
        if where is None or not len(where):
            if start is None and stop is None:
                nrows = self.nrows
                self._handle.remove_node(self.group, recursive=True)
            else:
                # pytables<3.0 would remove a single row with stop=None
                if stop is None:
                    stop = self.nrows
                nrows = self.table.remove_rows(start=start, stop=stop)
                self.table.flush()
            return nrows

        # infer the data kind
        if not self.infer_axes():
            return None

        # create the selection
        table = self.table
        selection = Selection(self, where, start=start, stop=stop)
        values = selection.select_coords()

        # delete the rows in reverse order
        sorted_series = Series(values, copy=False).sort_values()
        ln = len(sorted_series)

        if ln:
            # construct groups of consecutive rows
            diff = sorted_series.diff()
            groups = list(diff[diff > 1].index)

            # 1 group
            if not groups:
                groups = [0]

            # final element
            if groups[-1] != ln:
                groups.append(ln)

            # initial element
            if groups[0] != 0:
                groups.insert(0, 0)

            # we must remove in reverse order!
            pg = groups.pop()
            for g in reversed(groups):
                rows = sorted_series.take(range(g, pg))
                table.remove_rows(
                    start=rows[rows.index[0]], stop=rows[rows.index[-1]] + 1
                )
                pg = g

            self.table.flush()

        # return the number of rows removed