class REXML::Elements

def delete element


elements.delete('//nosuch') # => nil
elements.delete('//book [@category="children"]') # => ...
elements.delete('//book') # => ...
elements = d.root.elements
d = REXML::Document.new(xml_string)

removes the first element found via that xpath:
With string argument +xpath+ given,

elements.delete(ele_2) # => nil
elements[2] # => ...
elements.size # => 3
elements.delete(ele_2) # => ...
elements[2] # => ...
elements.size # => 4
ele_1, ele_2, ele_3, ele_4 = *elements
elements = d.root.elements
d = REXML::Document.new(xml_string)

removes that child element:
With element argument +element+ given,

elements.delete(50) # => nil
elements[2] # => ...
elements.size # => 3
elements.delete(2) # => ...
elements[2] # => ...
elements.size # => 4
elements = d.root.elements
d = REXML::Document.new(xml_string)

removes the child element at that offset:
With integer argument +index+ given,

Removes an element; returns the removed element, or +nil+ if none removed.

delete(xpath) -> removed_element or nil
delete(element) -> removed_element or nil
delete(index) -> removed_element or nil
:call-seq: 
def delete element
  if element.kind_of? Element
    @element.delete element
  else
    el = self[element]
    el.remove if el
  end
end