INSERT INTO column if column = null

Question

how to insert into column value if column =NULL I have table 'board' with column 'name' some column has value , some has value NULL , I need insert in all column where is value = NULL

Possible duplicate of [MySQL: update a field only if condition is met](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14893355/mysql-update-a-field-only-if-condition-is-met) — Ullas, Dec 05 '16 at 07:51

score 6 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 05 '16 at 07:29

6

You don't need to insert, you need to update:

UPDATE board
SET name = 'some value'
WHERE name IS NULL

answered Dec 05 '16 at 07:29

Tim Biegeleisen

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Tom Taylor · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-05T07:50:13.530

2

Yes you need to update instead of insert.

If your value could also be a "NULL" value of type String then this might help

UPDATE board
SET name = 'value_to_be_inserted'
WHERE name IS NULL and upper(name) != "NULL"

edited Dec 05 '16 at 07:50

answered Dec 05 '16 at 07:49

Tom Taylor

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Why `upper(name) != "NULL"`? – Ullas Dec 05 '16 at 07:49
If the value of null entered in the table is a string then "IS NULL" might miss... – Tom Taylor Dec 05 '16 at 07:55

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Dec 05 '16 at 07:57

0

Just an other perspective with CASE expression.

Query

update `board`
set `name` = (
    case when `name` is null then 'new value'
    else `name` end
);

answered Dec 05 '16 at 07:57

Ullas

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INSERT INTO column if column = null

3 Answers3