SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Statement - Explained with Examples
Elevate SQL efficiency with INSERT INTO SELECT! Explore practical examples for seamless data transfer, mastering the art of precise database insertion and selection.
The SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Statement
The INSERT INTO SELECT statement copies data from one table and inserts it into another table.
The INSERT INTO SELECT statement requires that the data types in source and target tables match.
Note: The existing records in the target table are unaffected.
INSERT INTO SELECT Syntax
Copy all columns from one table to another table:
INSERT INTO table2
SELECT * FROM table1
WHERE condition;Copy only some columns from one table into another table:
INSERT INTO table2 (column1, column2, column3, ...)
SELECT column1, column2, column3, ...
FROM table1
WHERE condition;Demo Database
In this tutorial we will use the well-known Northwind sample database.
Below is a selection from the "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 |
And a selection from the "Suppliers" table:
| SupplierID | SupplierName | ContactName | Address | City | Postal Code | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exotic Liquid | Charlotte Cooper | 49 Gilbert St. | Londona | EC1 4SD | UK |
| 2 | New Orleans Cajun Delights | Shelley Burke | P.O. Box 78934 | New Orleans | 70117 | USA |
| 3 | Grandma Kelly's Homestead | Regina Murphy | 707 Oxford Rd. | Ann Arbor | 48104 | USA |
SQL INSERT INTO SELECT Examples
Example
Copy "Suppliers" into "Customers" (the columns that are not filled with data, will contain NULL):
INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, City, Country)
SELECT SupplierName, City, Country FROM Suppliers; Example
Copy "Suppliers" into "Customers" (fill all columns):
INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode, Country)
SELECT SupplierName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode, Country FROM Suppliers; Example
Copy only the German suppliers into "Customers":
INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, City, Country)
SELECT SupplierName, City, Country FROM Suppliers
WHERE Country='Germany';#sql
