How to Insert Records into SQLite Only If They Don't Already Exist?

SQLite: Inserting Records Only If They Don't Exist

In SQLite, the IF NOT EXISTS syntax used in Microsoft SQL Server is not directly supported. This can be a challenge when trying to insert records while ensuring their uniqueness.

Workaround 1: INSERT OR IGNORE

One workaround is to use the INSERT OR IGNORE command. This syntax allows you to insert a new record into a table, but if a record with the same key already exists, the insert will be ignored. For example:

INSERT OR IGNORE INTO EVENTTYPE (EventTypeName) VALUES 'ANI Received';

Workaround 2: SELECT and INSERT

Another approach is to use a combination of a SELECT statement and an INSERT statement:

INSERT INTO EVENTTYPE (EventTypeName)
SELECT 'ANI Received'
WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM EVENTTYPE WHERE EventTypeName = 'ANI Received');

This syntax checks if a record with the specified EventTypeName already exists. If it does not, the INSERT statement is executed and a new record is added to the table.

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