SQL Server SELECT into existing table

Question

I am trying to select some fields from one table and insert them into an existing table from a stored procedure. Here is what I am trying:

SELECT col1, col2
INTO dbo.TableTwo 
FROM dbo.TableOne 
WHERE col3 LIKE @search_key

I think select into is for temporary tables which is why I get an error that dbo.TableTwo already exists.

How can I insert multiple rows from dbo.TableOne into dbo.TableTwo?

Answer 1

There are two different ways to implement inserting data from one table to another table.

For Existing Table - INSERT INTO SELECT

This method is used when the table is already created in the database earlier and the data is to be inserted into this table from another table. If columns listed in insert clause and select clause are same, they are not required to list them. It is good practice to always list them for readability and scalability purpose.

----Create testable
CREATE TABLE TestTable (FirstName VARCHAR(100), LastName VARCHAR(100))
----INSERT INTO TestTable using SELECT
INSERT INTO TestTable (FirstName, LastName)
SELECT FirstName, LastName
FROM Person.Contact
WHERE EmailPromotion = 2
----Verify that Data in TestTable
SELECT FirstName, LastName
FROM TestTable
----Clean Up Database
DROP TABLE TestTable

For Non-Existing Table - SELECT INTO

This method is used when the table is not created earlier and needs to be created when data from one table is to be inserted into the newly created table from another table. The new table is created with the same data types as selected columns.

----Create a new table and insert into table using SELECT INSERT
SELECT FirstName, LastName
INTO TestTable
FROM Person.Contact
WHERE EmailPromotion = 2
----Verify that Data in TestTable
SELECT FirstName, LastName
FROM TestTable
----Clean Up Database
DROP TABLE TestTable

Ref 1 2

Answer 2

SELECT ... INTO ... only works if the table specified in the INTO clause does not exist - otherwise, you have to use:

INSERT INTO dbo.TABLETWO
SELECT col1, col2
  FROM dbo.TABLEONE
 WHERE col3 LIKE @search_key

This assumes there's only two columns in dbo.TABLETWO - you need to specify the columns otherwise:

INSERT INTO dbo.TABLETWO
  (col1, col2)
SELECT col1, col2
  FROM dbo.TABLEONE
 WHERE col3 LIKE @search_key

Answer 3

It would work as given below :

insert into Gengl_Del Select Tdate,DocNo,Book,GlCode,OpGlcode,Amt,Narration 
from Gengl where BOOK='" & lblBook.Caption & "' AND DocNO=" & txtVno.Text & ""

Answer 4

select *
into existing table database..existingtable
from database..othertables....

If you have used select * into tablename from other tablenames already, next time, to append, you say select * into existing table tablename from other tablenames