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Asked 3 years ago
29 Jul 2021
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Alexa

Alexa posted

What are differences between `REPLACE` and `INSERT

What are differences between `REPLACE` and `INSERT
angeo

angeo
answered May 2 '23 00:00

REPLACE and INSERT are two SQL statements that can be used to add or update data in a database table . While both statements can achieve similar results, there are some key differences between them.

INSERT is used to add new rows to a table. It takes a set of values for each column in the new row and inserts them into the corresponding columns in the table. If the table already contains a row with the same primary key or unique index value, the INSERT statement will fail with a duplicate key error. In this case, the existing row remains unchanged, and no new rows are added to the table.

REPLACE , on the other hand, can be used to either add a new row or update an existing row in the table . If the table already contains a row with the same primary key or unique index value, the existing row is deleted and a new row with the same primary key or unique index value is inserted. If the table does not contain a row with the same primary key or unique index value, a new row is added to the table.

One advantage of using REPLACE over INSERT is that it can simplify the logic of applications that need to add or update data in a table . Instead of checking whether a row already exists before deciding whether to insert or update it, the application can simply use the REPLACE statement to add or update the row in a single step.

However, a potential disadvantage of using REPLACE is that it can result in the loss of data if an existing row is deleted and replaced with a new row. This can occur if the REPLACE statement is executed accidentally or if the wrong data is provided for the primary key or unique index value. In contrast, the INSERT statement will fail if a duplicate key is provided, which can help to prevent data loss due to accidental updates
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