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update and insert records

Hello.
I would like to be able to update existing records and insert new records into a main table from another table.

Is this possible using append query to do the inserts and update query to change the data on existing records?

I have been trying to do an append query to append new records into the main table if they don't already exist another table. Then doing an update query to update the existing data in the main table?

How may this be done or is it better doing it with a macro or code

Thanks,
Ivan

Guy Hengel [angelIII / a3]

you have to do this with 2 queries.
first, the update based on the join for the existing ones, and then insert those that are not yet in the table.
the update should be easy.
the insert requires a select like this one:

select b.*
  from table b
  left outer join a on (a.key = b.key) 
   where a.key is null

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icarey

ASKER

thanks angelIII

I have created the query ok but am unable to insert into the table due to field count

Tables STOCK and stock_new
Field names in both
NAME TITLE NAME2

SELECT stock_new.*
FROM stock_new LEFT JOIN STOCK ON stock_new.NAME2 = STOCK.NAME2
WHERE (((STOCK.NAME2) Is Null));

displays the new records

INSERT INTO STOCK(NAME,TITLE,NAME2)
SELECT stock_new.*
FROM stock_new LEFT JOIN STOCK ON stock_new.NAME2 = STOCK.NAME2
WHERE (((STOCK.NAME2) Is Null));

comes up with an error
Number of query values and destination fields are not the same

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Guy Hengel [angelIII / a3]

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icarey

ASKER

Thank you angelIII your answer has help me greatly

Ivan