SQL INSERT INTO Syntax
It is possible to write the INSERT INTO statement in two forms.The first form does not specify the column names where the data will be inserted, only their values:
INSERT INTO table_name
VALUES (value1,value2,value3,...);
The second form specifies both the column names and the values to be inserted:
INSERT INTO table_name (column1,column2,column3,...)
VALUES (value1,value2,value3,...);
"Customers" table:
CustomerID
CustomerName
ContactName
Address
City
PostalCode
Country
87
Wartian Herkku
Pirkko Koskitalo
Torikatu 38
Oulu
90110
Finland
88
Wellington Importadora
Paula Parente
Rua do Mercado, 12
Resende
08737-363
Brazil
89
White Clover Markets
Karl Jablonski
305 - 14th Ave. S. Suite 3B
Seattle
98128
USA
90
Wilman Kala
Matti Karttunen
Keskuskatu 45
Helsinki
21240
Finland
91
Wolski
Zbyszek
ul. Filtrowa 68
Walla
01-012
Poland
Example
INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode, Country)
VALUES ('Cardinal','Tom B. Erichsen','Skagen 21','Stavanger','4006','Norway');
The selection from the "Customers" table will now look like this:
CustomerID
CustomerName
ContactName
Address
City
PostalCode
Country
87
Wartian Herkku
Pirkko Koskitalo
Torikatu 38
Oulu
90110
Finland
88
Wellington Importadora
Paula Parente
Rua do Mercado, 12
Resende
08737-363
Brazil
89
White Clover Markets
Karl Jablonski
305 - 14th Ave. S. Suite 3B
Seattle
98128
USA
90
Wilman Kala
Matti Karttunen
Keskuskatu 45
Helsinki
21240
Finland
91
Wolski
Zbyszek
ul. Filtrowa 68
Walla
01-012
Poland
92
Cardinal
Tom B. Erichsen
Skagen 21
Stavanger
4006
Norway
Insert Data Only in Specified Columns
It is also possible to only insert data in specific columns.
The following SQL statement will insert a new row, but only insert data in the "CustomerName",
"City", and "Country" columns (and the CustomerID field will
of course also be updated automatically):
Example
INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, City, Country)
VALUES ('Cardinal', 'Stavanger', 'Norway');
The UPDATE statement is used to update existing records in a table.
SQL UPDATE Syntax
UPDATE table_name
SET column1=value1,column2=value2,...
WHERE some_column=some_value;
"Customers" table:
CustomerID
CustomerName
ContactName
Address
City
PostalCode
Country
1
Alfreds Futterkiste
Maria Anders
Obere Str. 57
Berlin
12209
Germany
2
Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados
Ana Trujillo
Avda. de la Constitución 2222
México D.F.
05021
Mexico
3
Antonio Moreno Taquería
Antonio Moreno
Mataderos 2312
México D.F.
05023
Mexico
4
Around the Horn
Thomas Hardy
120 Hanover Sq.
London
WA1 1DP
UK
5
Berglunds snabbköp
Christina Berglund
Berguvsvägen 8
Luleå
S-958 22
Sweden
SQL UPDATE Example
Assume we wish to update the customer "Alfreds Futterkiste" with a new
contact person and city.
We use the following SQL statement:
Example
UPDATE Customers
SET ContactName='Alfred Schmidt', City='Hamburg'
WHERE CustomerName='Alfreds Futterkiste';