I have a table with a 'user_id' column. Within that same table I have another data field labeled 'GMID'. Within that GMID column there are some fields that are null, the ones that aren't null have values that match the user_id data field within that row. Is there a way to create a script or query that will update all null fields in the GMID column to match the corresponding data values in the user_id row within that row? Are there any best practices I should follow, different approaches? Thanks in advance for anyone that can help.
Of course there is
UPDATE your_table
SET GMID=user_id
WHERE GMID IS NULL
But you even don't need WHERE if GMID always should be same as user_id.
By the way, why do you need two columns with same data in one table?
Another approach would be using the 'coalesce' function. It will return the first non-null value. This approach does not involve data changes on your table. On a query you can 'select coalesce(GMID, user_id) as GMID ...' it will return the first column that is not null.
Documentation for oracle DB:
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B28359_01/server.111/b28286/functions023.htm
Update: I just reversed the name of the columns inside the coalesce function...
Related
I have a column in my source table which has a certain amount of null values. I want to replace those null values by "TV" without creating a new column for it. Is there any way using IFNULL() or is there another solution to it?
Tried this solution but it creates a new column. I don't want that
You can UPDATE your table:
UPDATE `project.dataset.full_of_nulls`
SET c='TV'
WHERE c IS NULL
I am stuck with this question. I know table can be created with the select statement.
CREATE TABLE new_orders (ordr_id,order_date DEFAULT SYSDATE,cus_id)
AS
Select order_id.order_date,customer_id FROM Orders;
Which statement would be true regarding the above question ?
The NEW_ORDERS table would not get created beacuse the default value cannot be specified in the column definition.
The NEW_ORDERS table would get created and only the NOT NULL constraint define on the specified columnns would be passed to the new table.
The NEW_ORDERS table would not get created because the column names in the CREATE TABLE command and the SELECT clause do not match.
The NEW_ORDERS table would get created and all the constraints defined on the specified columns in the orders table would be passed to new Table.
I think correct answer should be 3, but it's wrong. The correct answer according to my book is 2. I don't get it how?
The answer should not be 3. Because in the select statement, you are taking values from Orders table. So you will use the column names of that table. Selecting value from there, you are inserting it into new_orders. So, the column names don't have to be same because they are different tables.
I am working in SQL Server 2008. I have a table with many columns that will not have values (at least, for the given situation). So, they will have a NULL value when I query each of them. I would like to instead make these NULL values be empty strings (i.e., ''). What is the best way to achieve this? My current idea is to set a DEFAULT value of '' on each them at the time that the table is created. However, since there are so many of them, this will be very tedious.
You have 2 options:
As you said, give it a default value of empty string for columns you don't want to be null when you create table/add new columns.
When you select nullable columns from the table you can use IsNull(ColumnName,'') which means if ColumnName is null it'll return empty string ('').
Create a table with the same structure as your current table, with a different name, and the default value as ''.
Insert into that table from your original table.
Delete the original table.
Change the name of the new table to the original table name.
I want to make filtration on a column after selecting a specific value of another column in the same table, I tried to use #... special character followed by the column's name to get the address of this value.
My SQL statement is like the following :
SELECT ATTRIBUTE FROM TABLE WHERE FIELD = '#FIELDNAME';
If I used a specific value instead of #FIELDNAME, it will work properly but it will be static but I need it to be dynamic based on the selected value.
Create another table which will have the list of values that are in the FIELDNAME and give each record a unique id ,then retrieve the value depending on what you have selected by the name of the new table's field preceded by '#...'
I don't know if that what are you looking for, please let me know.
If no triggers are allowed, do you have any date/time column in the table? Is it possible to have that extra column anyway to see the time of a newly inserted row?
You may have to check the lastest row entered, save its field value into a variable. Then do the select based on the variable value.
Based on the vague last row id you could try the following (it's not pretty). But again, if you have date/time that's more accurate.
select attribute from table
where field = (select field from table
where rowid =(select max(rowid) from table))
;
upate
Do you have the priviledge to set up your insert command as below:
insert into table (id, col1, col2,...) values (1,'something', 'something',...)
returning id into variable; -- you may either save field or id depending on your table
Then you may use this variable to select the records you want.
certain fields in our database contain calculated functions e.g.
select lastname + ', ' + firstname as fullname from contact where contact.id =$contact$
when viewing the field the correct data is shown (i assume this is because when you open the record, the calculation is executed). however, the data is not 'stored' to the field, and therefore is null until the record is opened. is it possible to 'store' the result to the field, making it possible to search the data?
many thanks
james
EDIT
it is not possible for me to create computed_columns using our software.
the above field is a text feild where either 1) a user can manual type in the required data or 2) the database can generate the answer for you (but only whilst you are looking at the record). i know that if I run the following:
Select * from contact where contact.id =$contact$ for xml auto
i only get lastname, firstname - so i know that the fullname field does not retain its information.
If you are using computed columns in sql server, the column is already searchable regardless of whether the calculation result is stored or not. However, if you would like to make it so that the calculation is not run each time you read the row, you can change that under row properties in your Modify Table GUI.
Use the PERSISTED key word when you create the column
From BOL:
PERSISTED
Specifies that the SQL Server Database Engine will physically store the computed values in the table, and update the values when any other columns on which the computed column depends are updated. Marking a computed column as PERSISTED lets you create an index on a computed column that is deterministic, but not precise. For more information, see Creating Indexes on Computed Columns. Any computed columns that are used as partitioning columns of a partitioned table must be explicitly marked PERSISTED. computed_column_expression must be deterministic when PERSISTED is specified.
This isn't the way computed columns work in SQL Server, so I suspect this is something your client application is doing. How are you looking at the data when the value is computed correctly? Does it work when you view the data in SSMS?
Take a look at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms191250(v=SQL.90).aspx to see how to create computed columns properly.
eg.
create table TestTable
(a int,
b int,
c as a + b)
insert into TestTable (a,b)
values (1,2)
select * from TestTable
where c = 3
This query is based on the computed column and it returns the row that's been inserted.
You need to use the PERSISTED option on a column when you use CREATE TABLE e.g.
CREATE TABLE test (col_a INT, col_b INT, col_c AS col_A * col_B PERSISTED)