Create a trigger after insert that update another table - sql

Question

I'm trying to create a trigger that update another table after an insert, when the state of the swab test changes from positive to negative.
I have created this trigger, but the problem is that every time there is a user with a negative swab, the user id is copied to the table, even if this user has never been positive. Maybe, have I to compare date?
Create or replace trigger trigger_healed
After insert on swab_test
For each row
Begin
if :new.result = 'Negative' then
UPDATE illness_update
SET illness_update.state = 'healed'
WHERE illness_update.id_user = :new.id_user;
end if;
end;
This is the result that I'm trying to get.
SWAB_TEST
id_user id_swab swab_result date
1 test1 'positive' May-01-2020
1 test1 'negative' May-08-2020
2 test2 'negative' May-02-2020
ILLNESS_UPDATE
id_user state date
1 'healed' May-08-2020

Answer 1

What you ask for would require the trigger to look at the existing rows in the table that is being inserted on - which by default cannot be done, since a trigger cannot action the table it fires upon.
Instead of trying to work around that, I would suggest simply creating a view to generate the result that you want. This gives you an always up-to-date perspective at your data without any maintenance cost:
create view illness_update_view(id_user, state, date) as
select id_user, 'healed', date
from (
select
s.*,
lag(swab_result) over(partition by id_user order by date) lag_swab_result
from swab_test s
) s
where lag_swab_result = 'positive' and swab_result = 'negative'
The view uses window function lag() to recover the "previous" result of each row (per user). Rows that represents transitions from a positive to a negative result are retained.

Answer 2

As #GMB indicates you cannot do what you are asking with a standard before/after row trigger as it that cannot reference swab_test as that is the table causing the trigger to fire (that would result in an ORA-04091 mutating table error). But you can do this in a Compound Trigger (or an After statement). But before getting to that I think your data model has a fatal flaw.
You have established the capability for multiple swab tests. A logical extension for this being that each id_swab tests for a different condition, or a different test for the same condition. However, the test (id_swab) is not in your illness update table. This means if any test goes to negative result after having a prior positive result the user is healed from ALL tests. To correct this you need to a include id_swab id making the healed determination. Since GMB offers the best solution I'll expand upon that. First drop the table Illness_update. Then create Illness_update as a view. (NOTE: in answer to your question you DO NOT need a trigger for the view, everything necessary is in the swab_test; see lag windowed function.
create view illness_update(id_user, state, swab_date) as
select id_user, id_swab, 'healed' state,swab_date
from (
select
s.*
, lag(swab_result) over(partition by id_user, id_swab
order by id_user, id_swab, swab_date) as lag_swab_result
from swab_test s
) s
where lag_swab_result = 'positive'
and swab_result = 'negative';
Now, as mentioned above, if your assignment requires the use of a trigger then see fiddle. Note: I do not use date (or any data type) as a column name. Here I use swab_date in all instances.