Lecture

UPDATE

The UPDATE statement is used to modify existing records in a table. It lets you change the value of one or more columns for specific rows.


Basic Syntax

The example below shows how to update a record in a table using the UPDATE statement:

UPDATE Syntax
UPDATE table_name SET column1 = value1, column2 = value2, ... WHERE condition;
  • SET defines the new values for one or more columns.
  • WHERE specifies which row(s) should be updated.

Always use a WHERE clause unless you want to update every row in the table.


Update Statement Example

The query below updates the email for a client named Jason Green.

Update email for a client
UPDATE clients SET email = 'j.green@newdomain.com' WHERE name = 'Jason Green';

This updates the email for the client named Jason Green to j.green@newdomain.com.

idnameemailsignup_date
5Jason Greenj.green@newdomain.com2023-12-14

Update Multiple Columns

The example below shows how to update multiple columns in a table using the UPDATE statement:

Update multiple values at once
UPDATE clients SET email = 'laura.adams@newdomain.com', signup_date = '2023-04-10' WHERE id = 4;

This changes both the email and signup date for the client with id = 4.

idnameemailsignup_date
4Laura Adamslaura.adams@newdomain.com2023-04-10

What's Next?

Next, you'll learn how to remove records from a table using the DELETE command.

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What does the UPDATE statement do in SQL?

Adds a new record to the table

Deletes a row from the table

Retrieves data from the table

Modifies existing records in the table

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