SQL Server: Is it possible to insert into two tables at the same time?

Question

My database contains three tables called Object_Table, Data_Table and Link_Table. The link table just contains two columns, the identi

Answer 1

If you want the actions to be more or less atomic, I would make sure to wrap them in a transaction. That way you can be sure both happened or both didn't happen as needed.

Answer 2

You might create a View selecting the column names required by your insert statement, add an INSTEAD OF INSERT Trigger, and insert into this view.

Answer 3

Before being able to do a multitable insert in Oracle, you could use a trick involving an insert into a view that had an INSTEAD OF trigger defined on it to perform the inserts. Can this be done in SQL Server?

Answer 4

The following sets up the situation I had, using table variables.

DECLARE @Object_Table TABLE
(
    Id INT NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY
)

DECLARE @Link_Table TABLE
(
    ObjectId INT NOT NULL,
    DataId INT NOT NULL
)

DECLARE @Data_Table TABLE
(
    Id INT NOT NULL Identity(1,1),
    Data VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL
)

-- create two objects '1' and '2'
INSERT INTO @Object_Table (Id) VALUES (1)
INSERT INTO @Object_Table (Id) VALUES (2)

-- create some data
INSERT INTO @Data_Table (Data) VALUES ('Data One')
INSERT INTO @Data_Table (Data) VALUES ('Data Two')

-- link all data to first object
INSERT INTO @Link_Table (ObjectId, DataId)
SELECT Objects.Id, Data.Id
FROM @Object_Table AS Objects, @Data_Table AS Data
WHERE Objects.Id = 1

Thanks to another answer that pointed me towards the OUTPUT clause I can demonstrate a solution:

-- now I want to copy the data from from object 1 to object 2 without looping
INSERT INTO @Data_Table (Data)
OUTPUT 2, INSERTED.Id INTO @Link_Table (ObjectId, DataId)
SELECT Data.Data
FROM @Data_Table AS Data INNER JOIN @Link_Table AS Link ON Data.Id = Link.DataId
                INNER JOIN @Object_Table AS Objects ON Link.ObjectId = Objects.Id 
WHERE Objects.Id = 1

It turns out however that it is not that simple in real life because of the following error

the OUTPUT INTO clause cannot be on either side of a (primary key, foreign key) relationship

I can still OUTPUT INTO a temp table and then finish with normal insert. So I can avoid my loop but I cannot avoid the temp table.

Answer 5

-- ================================================
-- Template generated from Template Explorer using:
-- Create Procedure (New Menu).SQL
--
-- Use the Specify Values for Template Parameters 
-- command (Ctrl-Shift-M) to fill in the parameter 
-- values below.
--
-- This block of comments will not be included in
-- the definition of the procedure.
-- ================================================
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO

ALTER PROCEDURE InsetIntoTwoTable

(
@name nvarchar(50),
@Email nvarchar(50)
)

AS
BEGIN

    SET NOCOUNT ON;


    insert into dbo.info(name) values (@name)
    insert into dbo.login(Email) values (@Email)
END
GO