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MySQL INSERT Statements: `VALUES` vs. `SET` – Which Should You Use?

Posted on 2025-03-23
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MySQL INSERT Statements: `VALUES` vs. `SET` – Which Should You Use?

MySQL INSERT Syntax comparison: INSERT INTO VALUES vs. INSERT INTO SET

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In MySQL, there are two common syntaxes for inserting values ​​into database tables:
  • INSERT INTO table (a, b, c) VALUES (1, 2, 3)
  • INSERT INTO table SET a = 1, b = 2, c = 3

the difference:

Both syntaxes can achieve the purpose of inserting new rows into a specified table, but there are slight differences between them:
  • INSERT INTO ... VALUES
  • Follows the SQL standard, explicitly specifying the value of each column in the table by listing them in parentheses. It's more verbose, but conforms to strict SQL syntax.
  • INSERT INTO ... SET is an extension of MySQL that allows you to assign values ​​to columns using the SET
  • clause. This syntax is more concise, but is only applicable to MySQL and is not supported by other SQL databases.

performance:

There is no significant difference between the two syntaxes in terms of performance. Both can perform insert operations efficiently and have similar execution times.

Which one to choose?

What syntax is used in the end depends on your preferences and the specific context of the database schema.
  • If you need to adhere to strict SQL standards, or want to write code that is compatible with multiple databases, INSERT INTO ... VALUES
  • is a safer option.
  • If you want to optimize readability and simplicity, INSERT INTO ... SET
  • may be more appropriate, especially if you have a lot of columns to insert.

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