SQL SELECT INTO Statement

Overview

The SELECT INTO statement is used to create a new table and populate it with data selected from an existing table. This is useful for creating backups, generating reports, or transforming data for analysis.

Syntax

SELECT column1, column2, ...
INTO new_table
FROM existing_table
WHERE condition;

Example 1: Basic Usage

To create a new table called EmployeesBackup with data from the Employees table:

SELECT *
INTO EmployeesBackup
FROM Employees;

This statement creates a new table EmployeesBackup containing all columns and rows from the Employees table.

Example 2: With Conditions

You can also filter the data being copied into the new table. For example, to create a backup of only the employees in the Sales department:

SELECT *
INTO SalesEmployeesBackup
FROM Employees
WHERE Department = 'Sales';

This creates a new table SalesEmployeesBackup containing only the records of employees in the Sales department.

Example 3: Selecting Specific Columns

You can also choose specific columns to copy. For instance, if you want to create a table with just the employee names and email addresses:

SELECT EmployeeName, Email
INTO EmployeesContactInfo
FROM Employees;

This will create a new table called EmployeesContactInfo with only the EmployeeName and Email columns.

Important Notes

• The new table is created with the same structure as the selected columns.
• If the new table already exists, an error will occur.
• In some SQL databases, you may need additional permissions to create new tables.

Conclusion

The SELECT INTO statement is a powerful SQL feature that allows you to create new tables and copy data from existing tables efficiently. It’s particularly useful for data backup, transformation, and reporting tasks.