how to direct select output to insert input

[Net Llama!]

On 03/27/03 20:09, Bill Davidson wrote:
>> >> > 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.
> 
> INSERT inserts rows, not columns. If you INSERT like you tried you'll
> get new rows with only column b filled with data. That won't even work
> if you try unless all the other fields are optional (which would be
> highly irregular, to say the very least). I don't have a lot of
> experience with SQL, just from college, where I'm in my final year, so I
> can't help you much more than that.

but all i want is to insert data into a single column, b.  the other 
columns in table_foo are already populated.  oh, well, thanks for your 
help anyway.

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

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