API Method for clearing the publish / jobs queue

Question

Is there any Sitecore API which can be used to clear the publish queue? Occasionally (possibly related to Unicorn sync) I find that there are hundreds of publishing operations in the job viewer (/sitecore/admin/jobs.aspx). I would like to build an admin page which would allow me to clear this publish queue. Obviously, I could just write some crude SQL statements to delete the records in the PublishQueue table, but it's better to use the API when possible.

Answer 1

As said, the sitecore/admin/PublishQueueStats.aspx will allow you to cleanup a publish queue so you might not have to write it yourself. If you still want to, this is the code behind the cleanup button on that page:

protected void OnClick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    Database database = Factory.GetDatabase(this.Databases.SelectedValue);
    if (database == null)
    {
      ...
    }
    else
    {
      TimeSpan timeSpan = DateUtil.ParseTimeSpan(this.IntervalToKeep.Text, TimeSpan.MaxValue);
      if (timeSpan == TimeSpan.MaxValue)
      {
        ...
      }
      else
      {
        PublishManager.CleanupPublishQueue(DateTime.Now - timeSpan, database);
      }
    }
  }

So the API you are looking for is PublishManager.CleanupPublishQueue.

This should call the CleanupPublishQueue in the SqlProvider:

public override bool CleanupPublishQueue(DateTime to, Sitecore.Data.DataProviders.CallContext context)
{
    to = DateUtil.ToUniversalTime(to);
    this.Api.Execute(" DELETE FROM {0}PublishQueue{1} WHERE {0}Date{1} <= {2}to{3}", (object) "to", (object) to);
    return true;
}