Insert values from a list in a single SQL statement - sql

Question

I have a list with values in it. I want to insert these values in a SQL table using a single INSERT statement.
Example: Say, there is a list with names (the size of the list is not constant). There is a STUDENTS table with NAME column. I want to insert in the STUDENTS table the names from the list using a single INSERT statement.
Right now I loop through the list and insert the value in the table. That means, the number of insert statements is equal to the length of the list.
List<String> Name;
foreach (String s in Name)
{
INSERT INTO STUDENTS (NAME) VALUES (s)
}
Is there a way I can accomplish this in a single SQL INSERT statement? Any help is much appreciated.

Answer 1

In MySql you can do it like this
INSERT INTO tbl (f1,f2) VALUES(1,2),(3,4),(5,6)...(55,77);
For mssql dialect all the same

Answer 2

Union can be used to achieve this, though technically each union is it's own statement.
short demo:
create table #i(hello int)
insert into #i select 1 union all select 2
select * from #i
drop table #i
There are other / better ways of populating tables from lists...those depend on what database you are on.

Answer 3

To do this with a single INSERT is with a SELECT.. you'd have to convert your list into this:
INSERT STUDENTS(NAME)
SELECT 'Tom'
UNION ALL
SELECT 'Bill'
UNION ALL
SELECT 'Sarah'

Answer 4

If your list was in a temporary table, you could use the following syntax:
insert into tblname
(columnlist)
select name from temptable;

Answer 5

with string.join
private void insertInto(string tablename, List<Values> list)
{
context.Database.ExecuteSqlRaw($#"INSERT INTO {tablename}(number,comment) VALUES
{string.Join(',',list.ToArray().Select(r =>$"
({r.value},'{r.comment}')").ToList())}");
returns list data and result : VALUES(1,'hello'),(5,'hello2').....