SQL INSERT INTO Statement

The INSERT INTO statement in SQL is used to add new rows of data into a table. It's a fundamental command for populating and updating your database.

INSERT INTO: Definition and Usage

You can add new rows to a table by specifying values for each column. If you don't provide a value for every column, the database will either use default values (if defined for those columns) or might use `NULL` for the missing values. If you have an auto-incrementing primary key, the database will typically handle assigning a new, unique ID.

Syntax

There are two main ways to write an INSERT INTO statement:

INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, column3, ...)
VALUES (value1, value2, value3, ...);
      

INSERT INTO table_name
VALUES (value1, value2, value3, ...);
      

In the second syntax, you don't list the column names, but you must provide values in the same order as the columns are defined in the table.

Example Database

Here's a sample 'Customers' table:

Examples

Inserting a New Row (Specifying Columns)

This adds a new customer, providing values for all columns. Note that `CustomerID` is usually auto-incrementing, so you shouldn't provide a value for it.

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode, Country)
VALUES ('Cardinal', 'Tom B. Erichsen', 'Skagen 21', 'Stavanger', '4006', 'Norway');
      

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, City, Country)
VALUES ('Another Company', 'New City', 'New Country');
      

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode, Country)
VALUES
('Cardinal', 'Tom B. Erichsen', 'Skagen 21', 'Stavanger', '4006', 'Norway'),
('Greasy Burger', 'Per Olsen', 'Gateveien 15', 'Sandnes', '4306', 'Norway'),
('Tasty Tee', 'Finn Egan', 'Streetroad 19B', 'Liverpool', 'L1 0AA', 'UK');