MongoCollection::createDBRef
MongoCollection::deleteIndexes
MongoCollection
PHP Manual

# MongoCollection::deleteIndex

Deletes an index from this collection

### Description

public array MongoCollection::deleteIndex ( string|array `$keys` )

This method is identical to:

`<?php
public function deleteIndexes($keys) {
// toIndexString is a protected method that turns strings, arrays, and objs
//into index names
$index = $this->toIndexString($keys);
return $this->db->command(array("deleteIndexes" => $this->getName(),
"index" => $index));
}
?>`

Each index, when created, is given a unique name. This is generally user-set (with MongoCollection::ensureIndex's "name" option) or generated by the driver from a combination of key names and directions. This name is then used by MongoCollection::deleteIndex to remove the function.

Unfortunately, the MongoCollection::ensureIndex generates slightly different names than the shell and, due to backwards compatibility issues, MongoCollection::deleteIndex cannot delete custom-named indexes as well. Thus, the best way to delete indexes created in the shell or with custom names is to directly call the deleteIndexes database command.

Thus, if you named an index "superfast query", you could only delete it with the PHP driver by running:

`<?php
$db->command(array("deleteIndexes" => $collection->getName(), "index" => "superfast query"));
?>`

To find what an index is named, you can query the system.indexes collection of a database and look for the name field.

### Parameters

`keys`

  Field or fields from which to delete the index.

### Return Values

Returns the database response.

### Examples

Example #1 MongoCollection::deleteIndex example

This example passes the function string and array parameters.

`<?php
$m = new MongoClient();
$c = $m->example->indices;
// create an index
$c->ensureIndex(array("i"=>1));
// remove a simple index
$c->deleteIndex("i");
// create a multi-key index
$c->ensureIndex(array("j" => 1, "k" => 1));
// remove a multi-key index
$c->deleteIndex(array("j" => 1, "k" => 1));
?>`