What is delete rule in Core Data?

Ans : In our database, there may be multiple entities. One entity is connected with another entity in relationship. So deleting one data from one entity may have impact on another entity data depends on relationship or delete rule.

There are 4 delete rules :

1. No Action
2. Nullify
3. Cascade
4. Deny

Let's take example having one department entity and it is connected to employee entity with relationship as one-to-many. Employee to department entity relationship is one-to-one.

1. No Action : When No Action delete rule is set to relationship, then there will be no impact of deleting record from one entity. If we delete record from department connected to multiple employees, then there be no impact on employee entity. Employee assume that it has still relation with deleted department.

2. Nullify : If delete rule is set to Nullify to the relationship then the destination of the relationship gets nullify.  In our case, if department is deleted, then relationship between employee and department gets nullify. This is default delete rule.

3. Cascade Rule : If we delete department, then its related employees will be deleted if this delete rule is set. This rue is only used when data model has more dependency. 

4. Deny Delete Rule : This is opposite of Cascade Rule. If we set this rule, and we try to delete department which is connected to any of employee, then we are not allowed to delete department.

Depends on project requirement, we can set delete rule.