The current webpage explains the SQL INSERT INTO statement, which is used to insert new records into a table. Here’s a summary of the key points:

• Purpose:
  The INSERT INTO statement adds new records to a table.

• Syntax Variations:

  1. Specify columns and values:

     INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, ...) VALUES (value1, value2, ...);
     

  2. Omit columns if providing values for all columns (order must match table definition):

     INSERT INTO table_name VALUES (value1, value2, ...);
     

• Examples Provided:

  • Inserting data specifying columns, e.g., adding a new customer to the "Customers" table.
  • Columns with auto-increment (like CustomerID) are populated automatically if not specified.
  • You can insert values only into selected columns; others get default or NULL values.
  • Multiple record insertion with a single statement is shown by providing several sets of values separated by commas.

• Practical Details:

  • Includes a demo table, practical examples with expected results, and an exercise question to reinforce learning.
  • Notes about auto-increment fields and inserting partial records are highlighted.

This page is a practical tutorial on how to use the SQL INSERT INTO statement, including syntax options, code examples, and quick exercises for hands-on learning.[1]

1

SQL INSERT INTO Statement

The SQL INSERT INTO Statement

The INSERT INTO statement is used to insert new records in a table.

INSERT INTO Syntax

It is possible to write the INSERT INTO statement in two ways:

1. Specify both the column names and the values to be inserted:

INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, column3, ...)
VALUES (value1, value2, value3, ...);

2. If you are adding values for all the columns of the table, you do not need to specify the column names in the SQL query. However, make sure the order of the values is in the same order as the columns in the table. Here, the INSERT INTO syntax would be as follows:

INSERT INTO table_name
VALUES (value1, value2, value3, ...);

Demo Database

Below is a selection from the Customers table used in the examples:

INSERT INTO Example

The following SQL statement inserts a new record in the "Customers" table:

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:

Did you notice that we did not insert any number into the CustomerID field?
The CustomerID column is an auto-increment field and will be generated automatically when a new record is inserted into the table.

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 record, but only insert data in the "CustomerName", "City", and "Country" columns (CustomerID will be updated automatically):

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, City, Country)  
VALUES ('Cardinal', 'Stavanger', 'Norway');

The selection from the "Customers" table will now look like this:

Insert Multiple Rows

It is also possible to insert multiple rows in one statement.

To insert multiple rows of data, we use the same INSERT INTO statement, but with multiple values:

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode, Country)  
VALUES  
('Cardinal', 'Tom B. Erichsen', 'Skagen 21', 'Stavanger', '4006', 'Norway'),  
('Greasy Burger', 'Per Olsen', 'Gateveien 15', 'Sandnes', '4306', 'Norway'),  
('Tasty Tee', 'Finn Egan', 'Streetroad 19B', 'Liverpool', 'L1 0AA', 'UK');

Make sure you separate each set of values with a comma ,.

The selection from the "Customers" table will now look like this: