How to Insert Rows into a Specific Column in a MySQL Table?

Inserting Rows in a Specific Column

Consider this scenario: you have a MySQL table named table1 with columns key_col, col_a, and col_b. You want to add rows to the table, but only in the col_a column, leaving col_b unchanged.

However, simply attempting an INSERT statement like this is incorrect:

INSERT INTO table1 AS t1 (key_col, col_a) VALUES ("k1", "foo"), ("k2", "bar");

Using UPDATE for Targeted Insertions

To achieve your desired result, you must use the UPDATE statement instead of INSERT.

UPDATE Syntax:

UPDATE <table_name> SET <column_name> = <value> WHERE <condition>;

Example:

To insert "k1" and "foo" into the table while leaving col_b unchanged, use these statements:

UPDATE table1 SET col_a='k1', col_b='foo' WHERE key_col='1';
UPDATE table1 SET col_a='k2', col_b='bar' WHERE key_col='2';

This approach ensures that existing data in col_b remains intact while updating col_a with the desired values.

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