INSERT IGNORE - (MySQL Queries)

In MySQL, INSERT IGNORE is a variation of the INSERT statement used to insert data into a table. It is useful when you want to insert new data into a table, but want to ignore any errors that occur if the new data violates unique key constraints. In this tutorial, we'll explore the syntax and usage of INSERT IGNORE in MySQL.

Syntax

The basic syntax for using INSERT IGNORE is as follows:

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

Here, table_name is the name of the table you want to insert data into, and (column1, column2, ...) specifies the columns you want to insert values into. The VALUES keyword is followed by a comma-separated list of the values you want to insert, enclosed in parentheses.

Example

Let's say we have a table called students with columns id, name, and email, and we want to insert a new record of a student with the ID of 001, name of John, and email of john@example.com. Here's how we would use INSERT IGNORE to insert this data:

INSERT IGNORE INTO students (id, name, email)
VALUES (001, 'John', 'john@example.com');

Output

If the new data we're trying to insert into the table violates any unique key constraints, MySQL will ignore the error and return no rows. If there are no errors, MySQL will insert the new data into the table and return a message indicating the number of rows affected.

Explanation

In the example above, we used INSERT IGNORE to insert a new record into the students table. The unique key constraint on the id column ensures that no duplicate ID values are inserted into the table. If we were to try to insert a new record with an ID value that already exists in the table, MySQL would ignore the error and not insert the new data.

Use

INSERT IGNORE is commonly used when you want to insert new data into a table and you're not sure if the data already exists. By ignoring any errors that occur, you can ensure that no duplicate data is inserted into the table.

Important Points

• INSERT IGNORE is used to insert new data into a table and ignore any errors that occur if the data violates unique key constraints.
• It is important to note that MySQL will not provide any notification or warning that data has been ignored.
• INSERT IGNORE is not recommended to be used in situations where data integrity is critical.
• In order to ignore multiple duplicate rows, you can use INSERT IGNORE INTO ... SELECT DISTINCT ... FROM.

Summary

In this tutorial, we covered the syntax, usage, output, explanation, use, and important points of using INSERT IGNORE in MySQL queries. Understanding how to use this statement can help you insert data without causing errors and duplicate data in your table. However, it is important to use it judiciously and not rely on it as a solution to data integrity issues.