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How to write UPDATE with VALUES

Hi,

I want to update some fields of some records in a table. My difficulty is that I have all the values stored in one string for all the fields that I want to update. Like this:

allValues = "12345, 'aaa', 'bbb'"
Can I do it in one shot to update my table? Meaning:

Before update, my table is like:
someID aNumberField aStrField anotherStrField
1 54321 a b

After update, my table should be like:
someID aNumberField aStrField anotherStrField
1 12345 aaa bbb

I'm trying to use something like this:
UPDATE myTable (aNumberField, aStrField, anotherStrField)
VALUES (" & allValues & ")

It doesn't work. Can anyone help me on this? Is there a way not to seperate allValues since in my real problem, it's a lot more than just 3 values?

Thank you very much!

Guy Hengel [angelIII / a3]

the correct UPDATE syntax is this:

UPDATE myTable 
  SET aNumberField = 12345
    , astrField = 'aaa'
   , anotherStrField = 'bbb'
WHERE someid = 1

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angie_angie

ASKER

Sorry I didn't make myself clear. The thing is, the values that are stored in allValues are from different resources which cannot be "seen" programmatically. Is there anyway to do it? Or can I delete the record and re-insert with the updated values?

Arthur_Wood

where is the variable AllValues coiming from, and where are you trying to execute this SQL?

UPDATE myTable (aNumberField, aStrField, anotherStrField)
VALUES (" & allValues & ")

you need to be a bit more explicit about precisly what you are trying to do, and where this is to be executed. Is it in a Query or in code.

AW

Arthur_Wood

If this is in code, you can do this:

UPDATE myTable (aNumberField, aStrField, anotherStrField)
VALUES (" & Split(allValues, ",") & ")

AW

Éric Moreau

This syntax is not valid in SQL:
UPDATE myTable (aNumberField, aStrField, anotherStrField)
VALUES (" & Split(allValues, ",") & ")

This is the syntax of the INSERT statement. The update needs to be in the format provided by angelIII

Arthur_Wood

emoueau>>>Notice that I prefaced my suggestion with "If this is in code" - and if it is done in code, the the Split function is a valid call.

AW

angie_angie

ASKER

Arthur Wood,

It is in VBA code. Are the string values in allValues seperated by single or double quotes??

i.e. should it be:
allValues = "12345, 'aaa', 'bbb'"
or, "12345, "aaa", "bbb""

??

Arthur_Wood

it should be

allValues = "12345, 'aaa', 'bbb'"

and then you can utilize the Split function to create an array object which will hold the separate values as "12345", "aaa", "bbb"

Dim myArray() as Variant
Dim allValues as String

AllValues = "12345, 'aaa', 'bbb'"

myArray = Split(allValues, ",")

UPDATE myTable (aNumberField, aStrField, anotherStrField)
VALUES (" & myArray & ")

CurrentDB.Execute("UPDATE myTable (aNumberField, aStrField, anotherStrField)
VALUES (" & myArray & ")")

or that last line could be

CurrentDb.Execute ("UPDATE myTable (aNumberField, aStrField, anotherStrField)
VALUES (" & Split(allValues, ",") & ")")

AW

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Guy Hengel [angelIII / a3]

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Arthur_Wood

yeah, minor brain freeze. I realized the error of my ways on the way to work this AM. Oh well, what can I say. LOL ;-)

AW