SQL UPDATE Statement

The Update Statement

The UPDATE statement is used to modify the data in a table.

Syntax

UPDATE tableName SET columnName = newValue WHERE columnName = someValue;

Update one Column in a Row

In this "Books" table:

Title	Author	Publisher	Year
الدورة الدموية	إبن النفيس	دار العلم	1650
Java 2	L. Johnston	Fast Press	2002
Linux and Unix	J. Sam	Fast Press	2004
Linux Distributions	J. Sam	Fast Press	2003
Operating Systems	M. Stone	Coriolis	2005
Web Programming	K. Yariv	East Edition	2006
XML Language	null	Science Edition	null

We want to add the author name to the book having the title "XML Language":

UPDATE Books SET Author = 'M. Salim' WHERE Title = 'XML Language';

The result is:

Title	Author	Publisher	Year
الدورة الدموية	إبن النفيس	دار العلم	1650
Java 2	L. Johnston	Fast Press	2002
Linux and Unix	J. Sam	Fast Press	2004
Linux Distributions	J. Sam	Fast Press	2003
Operating Systems	M. Stone	Coriolis	2005
Web Programming	K. Yariv	East Edition	2006
XML Language	M. Salim	Science Edition	null

Update several Columns in a Row

We want to change the publisher name and add the year of publication to the same book (i.e. the book having the title "XML Language"):

UPDATE Books SET Publisher = 'Knowledge Press', Year = 2000 WHERE Title = 'XML Language';

The result is:

Title	Author	Publisher	Year
الدورة الدموية	إبن النفيس	دار العلم	1650
Java 2	L. Johnston	Fast Press	2002
Linux and Unix	J. Sam	Fast Press	2004
Linux Distributions	J. Sam	Fast Press	2003
Operating Systems	M. Stone	Coriolis	2005
Web Programming	K. Yariv	East Edition	2006
XML Language	M. Salim	Knowledge Press	2000

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