problem using delete from multiple tables

[toodi4]

I'm running a delete query that deletes rows from multiple tables and I've been using this syntax:

$sql = "DELETE from table1, table2 using table1, table2 WHERE table1.user_id=$user AND table2.user_id=$user";

This works fine if the user_id is in both tables. But sometimes it isn't, and in those cases I'd still like to have the record deleted in the table where it exists.

I tried switching the AND to an OR statement, but this ended up deleting all values in the table where the user_id didn't exist. (not sure I understand that)

I know this could easily be done with two separate sql statements, but for various reasons I'm trying to keep it to one statement.

[NogDog]

I think (but am not 100% positive) you can do something like:

DELETE FROM table1, table2 
  USING table1 LEFT JOIN table2 ON table1.id = table2.id
  WHERE table1.id = $user

[tnkannan]

Here the query for deleting multiple rows.

The 'table1' and 'table2' have related with 'commonid', and the 'table2' and 'table3' are related with 'cid'.

[INDENT][INDENT]DELETE FROM table1, table2, table3
USING table1 LEFT JOIN table2 ON table1.commonid = table2.commonid
LEFT JOIN table3 ON table2.cid = table3.cid
WHERE table1.commonid = 56[/INDENT][/INDENT]

In 'where' condition give the 'commonid' for table1.

The above query will delete a row in table1 and related rows in table2 and also related rows in table3.