Re: INSERT Issues

On Thu, Apr 05, 2001 at 07:16:49PM -0400, Rod Taylor wrote:
> CREATE TABLE junk (
> col SERIAL PRIMARY KEY
> );
>
> INSERT INTO junk (col) DEFAULT VALUES;
>
> INSERT INTO junk DEFAULT VALUES:
>
>
> Second insert works, first one fails.
>
> INSERT INTO table [ ( column [, ...] ) ]
> { DEFAULT VALUES | VALUES ( expression [, ...] ) | SELECT query }
>
>
> The column list should just be ignored correct?
>

Hmm, the BNF from SQL1992 actually is:

<insert statement> ::=
INSERT INTO <table name>
<insert columns and source>


<insert columns and source> ::=
[ <left paren> <insert column list> <right paren> ]
<query expression>
| DEFAULT VALUES

<insert column list> ::= <column name list>

So the grammar is right to reject your first example.

According to the rules for <insert statement>:

2) An <insert columns and source> that specifies DEFAULT VALUES is
equivalent to an <insert columns and source> that specifies a
<query expression> of the form

VALUES (DEFAULT, . . . )

where the number of "DEFAULT" entries is equal to the number of
columns of T.

So the proper spelling of your first version is:

INSERT INTO junk (col) VALUES (DEFAULT);

Does that work for you?

Ross