how to direct select output to insert input

[Net Llama!]

On 03/27/03 19:37, Bill Davidson wrote:
> On Thu, 27 Mar 2003 19:11:37 -0800
> "Net Llama!" <netllama at linux-sxs.org> wrote:
> 
>> On 03/27/03 19:10, Bill Davidson wrote:
>> > On Thu, 27 Mar 2003 17:45:33 -0800
>> > "Net Llama!" <netllama at linux-sxs.org> wrote:
>> > 
>> >> i've got an Oracle (9i, if that matters) problem.  i need to
>> >> essentially copy all the data from a single column (call it a) in a
>> >> table into a different column (call it b) in the same table.  both
>> >a> and b are the same datatype, and b is currently empty.  i've tried
>> >the> following, but it fails:
>> >> insert into table_foo (b) values ((select a from table_foo));
>> >> 
>> >> i think the problem is that its attempting to insert all the rows
>> >from> a into a single row of b.  i just don't know how to work around
>> >this. > anyone have any ideas or suggestions?  thanks!
>> > 
>> > How about:
>> > insert into table_foo (b) select a from table_foo;
>> 
>> ORA-01400: cannot insert NULL
> 
> I was just about to correct that post. INSERT creates a new row. It
> sounds like you need to UPDATE. I don't know how to to update multiple
> rows with different data. Sorry.

why would i want to update?  there's nothing in b yet to update, which 
is why i thought inserting was the way to get the data in there.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
L. Friedman                       	       netllama at linux-sxs.org
Linux Step-by-step & TyGeMo: 		    http://netllama.ipfox.com

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