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SQL Server FAQ - Updating Multiple Rows with One UPDATE Statement

By: FYIcenter.com

(Continued from previous topic...)

How To Update Multiple Rows with One UPDATE Statement?

If the WHERE clause in an UPDATE statement matches multiple rows, the SET clause will be applied to all matched rows. This rule allows you to update values on multiple rows in a single UPDATE statement. Here is a good example:

SELECT * FROM fyi_links WHERE id >= 500
GO
id      url                     notes   counts  created
601     moc.retneciyf.ved       NULL    0       2006-04-30
602     moc.retneciyf.abd       NULL    0       2007-05-19
603     moc.retneciyf.aqs       NULL    NULL    2007-05-19

SELECT * FROM fyi_links
UPDATE fyi_links SET counts = 9, notes = 'Wrong' 
   WHERE id >= 500
(3 row(s) affected)

SELECT * FROM fyi_links WHERE id >= 500
GO
id      url                     notes   counts  created
601     moc.retneciyf.ved       Wrong   9       2006-04-30
602     moc.retneciyf.abd       Wrong   9       2007-05-19
603     moc.retneciyf.aqs       Wrong   9       2007-05-19

The UPDATE statement updated 3 rows with the same new values.

(Continued on next topic...)

1. What Are DML (Data Manipulation Language) Statements?
2. How To Create a Testing Table with Test Data?
3. How To Insert a New Row into a Table with "INSERT INTO" Statements?
4. How To Use Column Default Values in INSERT Statements?
5. How to provide column names in INSERT Statements?
6. What Happens If You Insert a Duplicate Key for the Primary Key Column?
7. How To Insert Multiple Rows with One INSERT Statement?
8. How To Update Values in a Table with UPDATE Statements?
9. How To Update Multiple Rows with One UPDATE Statement?
10. How to use old values to define new values in UPDATE statements?
11. Is the Order of Columns in the SET Clause Important?
12. How To Use Values from Other Tables in UPDATE Statements?
13. What Happens If the UPDATE Subquery Returns No Rows?
14. What Happens If the UPDATE Subquery Returns Multiple Rows?
15. How To Delete an Existing Row with DELETE Statements?
16. How To Delete Multiple Rows with One DELETE Statement?
17. How To Delete All Rows with DELETE Statements?
18. How To Delete All Rows with TRUNCATE TABLE Statement?