Why doesn't /delete-node/ work inside of a referenced node?

[cdwilson]

I'm working on a board with a device tree that contains the following definition:

&spi3 {
	compatible = "nordic,nrf-spim";
	status = "okay";
	cs-gpios = <&gpio0 7 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;
	pinctrl-0 = <&spi3_default>;
	pinctrl-1 = <&spi3_sleep>;
	pinctrl-names = "default", "sleep";
	w25q32jv: w25q32jv@0 {
		compatible = "jedec,spi-nor";
		reg = <0>;
		spi-max-frequency = <40000000>;
		wp-gpios = <&gpio0 8 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;
		hold-gpios = <&gpio0 10 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;
		size = <0x2000000>;
		has-dpd;
		t-enter-dpd = <3000>;
		t-exit-dpd = <30000>;
		jedec-id = [ ef 40 16 ];
	};
};

As I mentioned in #35214 (reply in thread) I discovered it is possible to delete the w25q32jv node from within an overlay by placing the /delete-node/ outside of the &spi3 referenced node in the overlay:

/delete-node/ &w25q32jv; <-- this works

&spi3 {
	cs-gpios = <&feather_header 15 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;

However, placing the /delete-node/ inside of the &spi3 referenced node does not work:

&spi3 {
    cs-gpios = <&feather_header 15 GPIO_ACTIVE_LOW>;

    /delete-node/ w25q32jv; <-- this does not work

Can someone explain why the /delete-node/ only works if placed outside of the reference block in an overlay? It doesn't really make sense to me why one works but the other does not.

[nordicjm]

Because you are not using the inner node, you would need to do /delete-node/ w25q32jv@0;

[cdwilson]

Thanks @nordicjm!

For others running across this in the future, here are some additional examples:

/ {
	/* this works */
	soc {
		peripheral@40000000 {
			spi@b000 {
				/delete-node/ w25q32jv@0;
			};
		};
	};

	/* this does NOT work (compiles, but node is not deleted) */
	soc {
		peripheral@40000000 {
			spi@b000 {
				/delete-node/ w25q32jv;
			};
		};
	};
};

&spi3 {
	/* this works */
	/delete-node/ w25q32jv@0;

	/* this does NOT work (compiles, but node is not deleted) */
	/delete-node/ w25q32jv;
};

/* this works */
/delete-node/ &w25q32jv;

/* this works */
/delete-node/ &{/soc/peripheral@40000000/spi@b000/w25q32jv@0};