postgres/doc/src/sgml/ref/insert.sgml

<REFENTRY ID="SQL-INSERT">
<REFMETA>
<REFENTRYTITLE>
INSERT
</REFENTRYTITLE>
<REFMISCINFO>SQL - Language Statements</REFMISCINFO>
</REFMETA>
<REFNAMEDIV>
<REFNAME>
INSERT
</REFNAME>
<REFPURPOSE>
Inserts new rows into a table
</REFPURPOSE>
<REFSYNOPSISDIV>
<REFSYNOPSISDIVINFO>
<DATE>1998-09-23</DATE>
</REFSYNOPSISDIVINFO>
<SYNOPSIS>
INSERT INTO <REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">table</REPLACEABLE> [ ( <REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">column</REPLACEABLE> [, ...] ) ]
    { VALUES ( <REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">expression</REPLACEABLE> [, ...] ) | SELECT <REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">query</REPLACEABLE> }
</SYNOPSIS>

<REFSECT2 ID="R2-SQL-INSERT-1">
<REFSECT2INFO>
<DATE>1998-09-23</DATE>
</REFSECT2INFO>
<TITLE>
Inputs
</TITLE>
<PARA>
</PARA>
<VARIABLELIST>
<VARLISTENTRY>
<TERM>
<REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">table</REPLACEABLE>
</TERM>
<LISTITEM>
<PARA>
The name of an existing table.

<VARLISTENTRY>
<TERM>
<REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">column</REPLACEABLE>
</TERM>
<LISTITEM>
<PARA>
The name of a column in <REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">table</REPLACEABLE>.

<VARLISTENTRY>
<TERM>
<REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">expression</REPLACEABLE>
</TERM>
<LISTITEM>
<PARA>
A valid expression or value to assign to <REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">column</REPLACEABLE>.

<VARLISTENTRY>
<TERM>
<REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">query</REPLACEABLE>
</TERM>
<LISTITEM>
<PARA>
A valid query. Refer to the SELECT statement for a further description
          of valid arguments.

</VARIABLELIST>

</REFSECT2>

<REFSECT2 ID="R2-SQL-INSERT-2">
<REFSECT2INFO>
<DATE>1998-09-23</DATE>
</REFSECT2INFO>
<TITLE>
Outputs
</TITLE>
<PARA>
<VARIABLELIST>
<VARLISTENTRY>
<TERM>
<replaceable>status</replaceable>
</TERM>
<LISTITEM>
<PARA>
<VARIABLELIST>
<VARLISTENTRY>
<TERM>
<ReturnValue>INSERT <replaceable>oid</replaceable></ReturnValue> 1
</TERM>
<LISTITEM>
<PARA>
Message returned if only one row was inserted.
<ReturnValue><replaceable>oid</replaceable></ReturnValue>
 is the row identifier.

<VARLISTENTRY>
<TERM>
<ReturnValue>INSERT 0 <replaceable>#</replaceable></ReturnValue>
</TERM>
<LISTITEM>
<PARA>
Message returned if more than one rows were inserted.
<ReturnValue><replaceable>#</replaceable></ReturnValue>
 is the number of rows inserted.

</VARIABLELIST>
</VARIABLELIST>

</REFSECT2>
</REFSYNOPSISDIV>

<REFSECT1 ID="R1-SQL-INSERT-1">
<REFSECT1INFO>
<DATE>1998-09-02</DATE>
</REFSECT1INFO>
<TITLE>
Description
</TITLE>
<PARA>
   INSERT allows one to insert new rows into a table. One can insert
   a single row at time or several rows as a result of a query.
   The columns in the target list may be listed in any order.
   In every column not present in the target list will be inserted 
   the default value, if column has not a declared default value
   it will be assumed as NULL. If the expression for each column
   is not of the correct data type, automatic type coercion will be
   attempted.

<para>
   You must have insert privilege to a table in order to append
   to it, as well as select privilege on any table specified
   in a WHERE clause.

<REFSECT1 ID="R1-SQL-INSERT-2">
<TITLE>
Usage
</TITLE>
<PARA>
<ProgramListing>
--Insert a single row into table films;
--(in the second example the column date_prod is omitted 
--therefore will be stored in it a default value of NULL):
--
INSERT INTO films VALUES
    ('UA502','Bananas',105,'1971-07-13','Comedy',INTERVAL '82 minute');

INSERT INTO films (code, title, did, date_prod, kind)
    VALUES ('T_601', 'Yojimbo', 106, DATE '1961-06-16', 'Drama');
</ProgramListing>

<ProgramListing>
--Insert a single row into table distributors, note that
--only column "name" is specified, to the non specified
--column "did" will be assigned its default value:
--
INSERT INTO distributors (name) VALUES ('British Lion');
</ProgramListing>

<ProgramListing>
--Insert several rows into table films from table tmp:
--
INSERT INTO films
    SELECT * FROM tmp;
</ProgramListing>

<ProgramListing>
--Insert into arrays:
--Create an empty 3x3 gameboard for noughts-and-crosses
--(all of these queries create the same board attribute)
--(Refer to the <citetitle>PostgreSQL User's Guide</citetitle> for further
--information about arrays).

INSERT INTO tictactoe (game, board[1:3][1:3])
    VALUES (1,'{{"","",""},{},{"",""}}');
INSERT INTO tictactoe (game, board[3][3])
    VALUES (2,'{}');
INSERT INTO tictactoe (game, board)
    VALUES (3,'{{,,},{,,},{,,}}');
</ProgramListing>

</REFSECT1>

<REFSECT1 ID="R1-SQL-INSERT-3">
<TITLE>
Compatibility
</TITLE>
<PARA>
</PARA>

<REFSECT2 ID="R2-SQL-INSERT-4">
<REFSECT2INFO>
<DATE>1998-09-23</DATE>
</REFSECT2INFO>
<TITLE>
SQL92
</TITLE>
<PARA>
The INSERT statement is fully compatible with <acronym>SQL92</acronym>.
Possible limitations in features of the 
<REPLACEABLE CLASS="PARAMETER">query</REPLACEABLE>
clause are documented for the SELECT statement.

</REFENTRY>

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