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โ‡ฑ How To Update Data in SQL | DigitalOcean


How To Update Data in SQL

Published on October 21, 2020

By Mark Drake

Manager, Developer Education

๐Ÿ‘ How To Update Data in SQL

Introduction

When working with a database, there may be times when you need to change data thatโ€™s already been inserted into it. For example, you may need to correct a misspelled entry or perhaps you have new information to add to an incomplete record. Structured Query Language โ€” more commonly known as SQL โ€” provides the UPDATE keyword which allows users to change existing data in a table.

This guide outlines how you can use SQLโ€™s UPDATE syntax to change data in one or more tables. It also explains how SQL handles UPDATE operations that conflict with foreign key constraints.

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Tutorial Series: How To Use SQL

Series Description

Structured Query Language โ€” commonly known as SQL โ€” is a language used to define, control, manipulate, and query data held in a relational database. SQL has been widely adopted since it was first developed in the 1970s, and today itโ€™s the predominant language used to manage relational database management systems.

Ideal for managing structured data (data that can fit neatly into an existing data model), SQL is an essential tool for developers and system administrators in a wide variety of contexts. Also, because of its maturity and prevalence, candidates with SQL experience are highly sought after for jobs across a number of industries.

This series is intended to help you get started with using SQL. It includes a mix of conceptual articles and tutorials which provide introductions to various SQL concepts and practices. You can also use the entries in this series for reference while you continue to hone your skills with SQL.

Note: Please be aware that the tutorials in this series use MySQL in examples, but many RDBMSs use their own unique implementations of SQL. Although the commands outlined in this tutorial will work on most RDBMSs, the exact syntax or output may differ if you test them on a system other than MySQL.

About the author

๐Ÿ‘ Mark Drake
Mark Drake
Author
Manager, Developer Education
See author profile

Former Technical Writer at DigitalOcean. Focused on SysAdmin topics including Debian 11, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Databases, SQL and PostgreSQL.

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๐Ÿ‘ Creative Commons
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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