Insert data in 3 tables at a time using Postgres - sql

Question

I want to insert data into 3 tables with a single query.
My tables looks like below:
CREATE TABLE sample (
id bigserial PRIMARY KEY,
lastname varchar(20),
firstname varchar(20)
);
CREATE TABLE sample1(
user_id bigserial PRIMARY KEY,
sample_id bigint REFERENCES sample,
adddetails varchar(20)
);
CREATE TABLE sample2(
id bigserial PRIMARY KEY,
user_id bigint REFERENCES sample1,
value varchar(10)
);
I will get a key in return for every insertion and I need to insert that key in the next table.
My query is:
insert into sample(firstname,lastname) values('fai55','shaggk') RETURNING id;
insert into sample1(sample_id, adddetails) values($id,'ss') RETURNING user_id;
insert into sample2(user_id, value) values($id,'ss') RETURNING id;
But if I run single queries they just return values to me and I cannot reuse them in the next query immediately.
How to achieve this?

Answer 1

Use data-modifying CTEs:
WITH ins1 AS (
INSERT INTO sample(firstname, lastname)
VALUES ('fai55', 'shaggk')
-- ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING -- optional addition in Postgres 9.5+
RETURNING id AS sample_id
)
, ins2 AS (
INSERT INTO sample1 (sample_id, adddetails)
SELECT sample_id, 'ss' FROM ins1
RETURNING user_id
)
INSERT INTO sample2 (user_id, value)
SELECT user_id, 'ss2' FROM ins2;
Each INSERT depends on the one before. SELECT instead of VALUES makes sure nothing is inserted in subsidiary tables if no row is returned from a previous INSERT. (Since Postgres 9.5+ you might add an ON CONFLICT.)
It's also a bit shorter and faster this way.
Typically, it's more convenient to provide complete data rows in one place:
WITH data(firstname, lastname, adddetails, value) AS (
VALUES -- provide data here
('fai55', 'shaggk', 'ss', 'ss2') -- see below
, ('fai56', 'XXaggk', 'xx', 'xx2') -- works for multiple input rows
-- more?
)
, ins1 AS (
INSERT INTO sample (firstname, lastname)
SELECT firstname, lastname -- DISTINCT? see below
FROM data
-- ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING -- UNIQUE constraint? see below
RETURNING firstname, lastname, id AS sample_id
)
, ins2 AS (
INSERT INTO sample1 (sample_id, adddetails)
SELECT ins1.sample_id, d.adddetails
FROM data d
JOIN ins1 USING (firstname, lastname)
RETURNING sample_id, user_id
)
INSERT INTO sample2 (user_id, value)
SELECT ins2.user_id, d.value
FROM data d
JOIN ins1 USING (firstname, lastname)
JOIN ins2 USING (sample_id);
db<>fiddle here
You may need explicit type casts in a stand-alone VALUES expression - as opposed to a VALUES expression attached to an INSERT where data types are derived from the target table. See:
Casting NULL type when updating multiple rows
If multiple rows can come with identical (firstname, lastname), you may need to fold duplicates for the first INSERT:
...
INSERT INTO sample (firstname, lastname)
SELECT DISTINCT firstname, lastname FROM data
...
You could use a (temporary) table as data source instead of the CTE data.
It would probably make sense to combine this with a UNIQUE constraint on (firstname, lastname) in the table and an ON CONFLICT clause in the query.
Related:
How to use RETURNING with ON CONFLICT in PostgreSQL?
Is SELECT or INSERT in a function prone to race conditions?

Answer 2

Something like this
with first_insert as (
insert into sample(firstname,lastname)
values('fai55','shaggk')
RETURNING id
),
second_insert as (
insert into sample1( id ,adddetails)
values
( (select id from first_insert), 'ss')
RETURNING user_id
)
insert into sample2 ( id ,adddetails)
values
( (select user_id from first_insert), 'ss');
As the generated id from the insert into sample2 is not needed, I removed the returning clause from the last insert.

Answer 3

Typically, you'd use a transaction to avoid writing complicated queries.
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/sql-begin.html
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/commit.html
You could also use a CTE, assuming your Postgres tag is correct. For instance:
with sample_ids as (
insert into sample(firstname, lastname)
values('fai55','shaggk')
RETURNING id
), sample1_ids as (
insert into sample1(id, adddetails)
select id,'ss'
from sample_ids
RETURNING id, user_id
)
insert into sample2(id, user_id, value)
select id, user_id, 'val'
from sample1_ids
RETURNING id, user_id;

Answer 4

You could create an after insert trigger on the Sample table to insert into the other two tables.
The only issue i see with doing this is that you wont have a way of inserting adddetails it will always be empty or in this case ss. There is no way to insert a column into sample thats not actualy in the sample table so you cant send it along with the innital insert.
Another option would be to create a stored procedure to run your inserts.
You have the question taged mysql and postgressql which database are we talking about here?