SQL INSERT INTO Statement

The INSERT INTO statement in SQL is used to insert new records into a table. It can be written in two different ways. Let’s explore the syntax and examples.

INSERT INTO Syntax

You can write the INSERT INTO statement in the following two ways:

1. Specify Column Names and Values:

When you specify both column names and their values, the syntax is as follows:

INSERT INTO table_name (column1, column2, column3, ...)
VALUES (value1, value2, value3, ...);
  

2. Add Values for All Columns:

If you are inserting values for all columns, you don’t need to specify the column names. However, ensure the order of values matches the column order in the table. The syntax is:

INSERT INTO table_name
VALUES (value1, value2, value3, ...);
  

Demo Database (India)

Here is an example of a “Customers” table based on Indian customers:

CustomerID	CustomerName	ContactName	Address	City	PostalCode	Country
101	Spice Bazaar	Rajesh Khanna	12 MG Road	Mumbai	400001	India
102	Curry Junction	Priya Sharma	45 Brigade Road	Bengaluru	560001	India
103	Heritage Textiles	Ankit Mehra	7 Johari Bazaar	Jaipur	302003	India

INSERT INTO Example

Below is an example of adding a new record to the Customers table:

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode, Country)
VALUES ('Golden Silk Emporium', 'Mohit Jain', '18 Charminar Area', 'Hyderabad', '500002', 'India');
  

Insert Multiple Rows

To insert multiple rows in one statement, use this syntax:

INSERT INTO Customers (CustomerName, ContactName, Address, City, PostalCode, Country)
VALUES 
('Tea Gardens', 'Sunita Das', '22 Assam Road', 'Guwahati', '781001', 'India'),
('Heritage Handlooms', 'Neha Kapoor', '5 Lal Chowk', 'Srinagar', '190001', 'India');