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MySQL Trigger

First, let me start off by saying I do not like the use of Triggers.  That said, I do not know of any other option at this point.  I need a temporary solution to the following problem and came up with the use of a Trigger.

The issue I have is I am calling an API and sending a request that will insert the following information into a mysql table.  The API is limited and does not allow one of the columns fields to accept what I need.  The data inserted comes in as -2 everytime and I need the data to be set from a related table. I though a Before Insert Trigger based on if the field = -2.  The field would then be set with information from the related table based on the matching field.  Here is some more info to clarify this:

Table 1 (Data being Inserted)
field 1 = "name"
field 2 = "-2"

Table 2
field 1 ="name" (matches field 1 on table 1)
field 2 = "75"

When an INSERT is performed, the Trigger will replace the incoming -2 data and use the related info from Table 2, field 2 using field 1 as a match.

I hope this information is enough for someone trying to help with this.  I am having trouble figuring if this should be a BEFORE or AFTER Trigger as well as limiting it to working when field2 on Table 1 is = -2.

This is also temporary until the API being used can accept Field 2 as a variable on the original request.
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Darrell Porter
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If I recall correctly, it would definitely need to be a BEFORE trigger as you want to modify the insertion data.  The problem is that if the transaction is backed out, the data inserted as a result of the BEFORE trigger will still likely be committed as the inserting application isn't aware of the trigger.

Were it me, I would definitely perform data validation - suppose the application attempts to insert '-1' or 'khlkdjhlashd' - data can get corrupted in transition without detection.  Any code you write needs to take the real world into consideration - malware and interference happen. :P
And I am presuming this has to be real-time transaction and not a periodic batch update ?
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Darrell Porter
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OK, Using the actual field names, this is what added to the DB Triggers:

DELIMITER $$

DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS Field2_BI $$
CREATE TRIGGER Field2_BI BEFORE INSERT ON studentcourse FOR EACH ROW
BEGIN

  IF NOT (NEW.SessionID <=> "-2") THEN
    BEGIN
      DECLARE CourseID TEXT DEFAULT NULL;      -- using
      DECLARE SessionID INT DEFAULT NULL;     -- the
      SELECT CourseID, SessionID
        FROM coursesession
       WHERE CourseID = NEW.CourseID
        INTO CourseID, SessionID;
      SET NEW.CourseID = CourseID, NEW.SessionID = SessionID;
    END;
  END IF;

END $$
DELIMITER ;

More information on tables:
studentcourse (table 1)
CourseID (field 1)
Session ID (field 2)

coursession (table 2)
CourseID
SessionID

does it matter that the field names are the same?
I was able to solve this.  I figured what was supposed to be different.  Here is the final code:

DELIMITER $$

DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS Field2_BI $$
CREATE TRIGGER Field2_BI BEFORE INSERT ON studentcourse FOR EACH ROW
BEGIN

  IF NEW.SessionID = "-2" THEN
   BEGIN
      DECLARE cID TEXT DEFAULT NULL;      -- using
      DECLARE sID INT DEFAULT NULL;     -- the
      SELECT CourseID, SessionID
        FROM coursesession
       WHERE CourseID = NEW.CourseID
        INTO cID, sID;
      SET NEW.CourseID = cID, NEW.SessionID = sID;
   END;
  END IF;
END $$
DELIMITER ;

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Thank you for your solution to this.
Now, of course, the question is what should happen when SessionID does not equal -2? :)

Always happy to help.
Thank you again for your help