SQL INSERT Statement

The SQL INSERT statement is used to add new records to a database table. It is an important part of any SQL query and is commonly used to populate a database with data. INSERT is a powerful operation and should be used with caution, as it can permanently add data to a database.

Syntax

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

Example

INSERT INTO customers (customer_id, first_name, last_name, city)
VALUES (123, 'John', 'Doe', 'New York');
    

This example inserts a new record into the "customers" table with the specified values for the customer ID, first name, last name, and city.

Options

• INSERT: The keyword that tells the database to insert a new record.
• INTO: The table to insert the record into.
• VALUES: The values to insert into the table. These must be in the same order as the columns specified in the INSERT statement.
• SELECT: Instead of specifying values directly, you can use a SELECT statement to insert data from another table or query. For example:

  INSERT INTO customers SELECT * FROM old_customers WHERE city = 'Los Angeles'

• DEFAULT VALUES: If you omit the VALUES clause, you can use the DEFAULT VALUES keyword to insert a new record with default values for all columns. This is useful if you don't have specific values to insert, or if you want to use the default values specified in the database schema. For example:

  INSERT INTO customers DEFAULT VALUES

There are many other options and clauses that can be used with the INSERT statement, such as ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE and RETURNING. You can learn more about these and other advanced topics in our SQL tutorials and references.