The configuration parameter delete.topic.enabled in Apache Kafka determines whether users have the ability to delete topics. When set to true, users are allowed to delete topics. When set to false, users are prevented from deleting topics.

Here's what the configuration means:

If delete.topic.enabled=true:

Users with the appropriate permissions can delete topics using administrative tools or Kafka APIs.

Deleting a topic removes all the data associated with that topic, including its partitions and messages.

If delete.topic.enabled=false:

Users, even those with administrative privileges, are not allowed to delete topics.

This configuration can be used as a safety measure to prevent accidental deletion of topics and their data.

For example, in the server.properties configuration file of a Kafka broker, you might set: