FREE E LEARNING PLATFORM
HTMLCSSJAVASCRIPTSQLPHPBOOTSTRAPJQUERYANGULARXML
 

SQL SELECT INTO Statement


With SQL, you can copy information from one table into another.

The SELECT INTO statement copies data from one table and inserts it into a new table.


The SQL SELECT INTO Statement

The SELECT INTO statement selects data from one table and inserts it into a new table.

SQL SELECT INTO Syntax

We can copy all columns into the new table:

SELECT *
INTO newtable [IN externaldb]
FROM table1;

Or we can copy only the columns we want into the new table:

SELECT column_name(s)
INTO newtable [IN externaldb]
FROM table1;

The new table will be created with the column-names and types as defined in the SELECT statement. You can apply new names using the AS clause.


SQL SELECT INTO Examples

Create a backup copy of Customers:

SELECT *
INTO CustomersBackup2013
FROM Customers;

Use the IN clause to copy the table into another database:

SELECT *
INTO CustomersBackup2013 IN 'Backup.mdb'
FROM Customers;

Copy only a few columns into the new table:

SELECT CustomerName, ContactName
INTO CustomersBackup2013
FROM Customers;

Copy only the German customers into the new table:

SELECT *
INTO CustomersBackup2013
FROM Customers
WHERE Country='Germany';

Copy data from more than one table into the new table:

SELECT Customers.CustomerName, Orders.OrderID
INTO CustomersOrderBackup2013
FROM Customers
LEFT JOIN Orders
ON Customers.CustomerID=Orders.CustomerID;

Tip: The SELECT INTO statement can also be used to create a new, empty table using the schema of another. Just add a WHERE clause that causes the query to return no data:

SELECT *
INTO newtable
FROM table1
WHERE 1=0;