How to Update Two Tables in One Statement in SQL Server?


Introduction

In SQL Server, you may sometimes need to update data in multiple tables at the same time. This can be done using a single UPDATE statement, which allows you to update multiple tables in a single query.

To update two tables in one statement, you can use the UPDATE statement with a JOIN clause. The JOIN clause allows you to specify a relationship between the two tables that you want to update, based on a common column or set of columns.

Definition

The term "update two tables in one statement" refers to the process of using a single UPDATE statement in SQL Server to update data in two tables at the same time.

In SQL Server, the UPDATE statement is used to modify data in a table. By default, the UPDATE statement updates one table at a time. However, you can use a JOIN clause in the UPDATE statement to update two tables in one statement.

The JOIN clause allows you to specify a relationship between the two tables that you want to update, based on a common column or set of columns. This allows you to update data in both tables at the same time, based on the specified conditions.

For example, you can use an UPDATE statement with a JOIN clause to update the salary for all employees in a certain department, or update the address for all customers in a certain region.

Overall, the concept of updating two tables in one statement is useful when you need to update data in multiple tables at the same time, and the tables have a relationship based on a common column or set of columns. This can help you avoid the need to write multiple UPDATE statements or use other techniques such as cursors or loops.

Syntax

UPDATE table1
SET column1 = value1, column2 = value2, ...
FROM table1
JOIN table2 ON table1.common_column = table2.common_column
WHERE condition;
UPDATE table2
SET column1 = value1, column2 = value2, ...
FROM table1
JOIN table2 ON table1.common_column = table2.common_column
WHERE condition;

This will update both table1 and table2 using the common column specified in the ON clause of the JOIN. The WHERE clause is optional and can be used to specify additional conditions for the update.

Important Points to Consider

  • Make sure that the two tables have a common column or set of columns that you can use to join the tables. This common column will be used to specify the relationship between the two tables in the JOIN clause of the UPDATE statement.

  • Use the SET clause to specify the columns and values that you want to update in each table. You can update multiple columns at the same time by separating the assignments with commas.

  • Use the WHERE clause to specify any additional conditions for the update. This can be used to narrow down the rows that will be updated in each table.

  • Be careful when updating data in multiple tables at the same time. If you have a mistake in your UPDATE statement, you may end up updating more rows than intended, or updating the wrong values. It is always a good idea to test your UPDATE statement on a test database before applying it to your production database.

  • If you want to update multiple tables in one statement and the tables do not have a common column, you can use a subquery in the UPDATE statement to achieve the same effect. However, this technique can be more complex and may have worse performance compared to using a JOIN clause.

Example - 1

SQL Query

UPDATE Table1 SET name = 'John', country = 'USA' FROM Table1 JOIN Table2 ON Table1.user_id = Table2.user_id WHERE Table2.department = 'IT';

This UPDATE statement will update the name and country columns in Table1 for all rows that have a department of 'IT' in Table2. The JOIN clause specifies the relationship between the two tables based on the user_id column.

Example - 2

SQL Query

UPDATE Table2 SET salary = salary * 1.1 FROM Table1 JOIN Table2 ON Table1.user_id = Table2.user_id WHERE Table1.country = 'USA';

This UPDATE statement will increase the salary column in Table2 by 10% for all rows that have a country of 'USA' in Table1. The JOIN clause specifies the relationship between the two tables based on the user_id column.

Example - 3

SQL Query

UPDATE Table1 SET name = 'John', country = 'USA' FROM Table1 JOIN Table2 ON Table1.user_id = Table2.user_id WHERE Table2.department = 'IT' AND Table1.country >< 'USA'; UPDATE Table2 SET salary = salary * 1.1 FROM Table1 JOIN Table2 ON Table1.user_id = Table2.user_id WHERE Table1.country = 'USA';

This example combines the two previous examples into a single statement. It will update the name and country columns in Table1 for all rows that have a department of 'IT' in Table2, and increase the salary column in Table2 by 10% for all rows that have a country of 'USA' in Table1. The JOIN clause specifies the relationship between the two tables based on the user_id column.

Conclusion

This can be useful when you need to update data in multiple tables at the same time, and the tables have a relationship based on a common column or set of columns.

Updated on: 14-Sep-2023

40K+ Views

Kickstart Your Career

Get certified by completing the course

Get Started
Advertisements