Ask the Expert

Moving column values from one table to another

I have two tables wherein I have to get a string of values from one column of one table and pump the retrieved information into a new column in the other table. How do I do this?

    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

If you just need to insert the data from one table into another, then you can use the INSERT..SELECT command similar to the following: 
INSERT INTO new_table (columnA) SELECT columnB FROM old_table;
If you need to update a column in one table based on the values in another, then you will need to figure out which column maps rows from one table to the other. In my example below, I'll call this column the key_column. The UPDATE command can look like the following: 
UPDATE new_table SET columnA = (SELECT columnB FROM old_table
         WHERE old_table.key_column = new_table.key_column);







This was first published in August 2006






	

					   








	
	
		
			
				

					
Join the conversationComment

					
					
		
						
		
							
Share
	
										
						

						
						
		
					

					
					
	
						
Comments
	
						
    	
					
    	
				
					
    		
						
    
							
    Results
    
						
    
				
						
    
							
    Contribute to the conversation
    
							
    
								All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.
							
    
						
    
						
						
    
							
							
							
      
							
    1. 
								
								
							
      2. 
							
    2. 
								
      
							
      3. 
							
    		
							
						
    
					
    		
				
    
			
			
				
	




				
    
					Back to top