SQL UPDATE with sub-query that references the same table in MySQL

Question

I'm trying to update a column's value in a bunch of rows in a table using UPDATE. The problem is that I need to use a sub-query to derive the value for this column, and it depends on the same table. Here's the query:

UPDATE user_account student
SET student.student_education_facility_id = (
   SELECT teacher.education_facility_id
   FROM user_account teacher
   WHERE teacher.user_account_id = student.teacher_id AND teacher.user_type = 'ROLE_TEACHER'
)
WHERE student.user_type = 'ROLE_STUDENT';

Ordinarily if teacher and student were in 2 different tables, mysql wouldn't complain. But since they are both using the same table, mysql spews out this error instead:

ERROR 1093 (HY000): You can't specify target table 'student' for update in FROM clause

Is there any way I can force mysql to do the update? I am 100% positive the from clause will not be affected as the rows are updated.

If not, is there another way I can write this update sql to achieve the same affect?

Thanks!

EDIT: I think I got it to work:

UPDATE user_account student
LEFT JOIN user_account teacher ON teacher.user_account_id = student.teacher_id
SET student.student_education_facility_id = teacher.education_facility_id
WHERE student.user_type = 'ROLE_STUDENT';

Answer 1

Some reference for you http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/update.html

UPDATE user_account student 
INNER JOIN user_account teacher ON
   teacher.user_account_id = student.teacher_id 
   AND teacher.user_type = 'ROLE_TEACHER'
SET student.student_education_facility_id = teacher.education_facility_id

Answer 2

Abstract example with clearer table and column names:

UPDATE tableName t1
INNER JOIN tableName t2 ON t2.ref_column = t1.ref_column
SET t1.column_to_update = t2.column_desired_value

As suggested by @Nico

Hope this help someone.

Answer 3

UPDATE user_account 
SET (student_education_facility_id) = ( 
    SELECT teacher.education_facility_id
    FROM user_account teacher
    WHERE teacher.user_account_id = teacher_id
    AND teacher.user_type = 'ROLE_TEACHER'
)
WHERE user_type = 'ROLE_STUDENT'

Above are the sample update query...

You can write sub query with update SQL statement, you don't need to give alias name for that table. give alias name to sub query table. I tried and it's working fine for me....

Answer 4

UPDATE user_account student

SET (student.student_education_facility_id) = (

   SELECT teacher.education_facility_id

   FROM user_account teacher

   WHERE teacher.user_account_id = student.teacher_id AND teacher.user_type = 'ROLE_TEACHER'

)

WHERE student.user_type = 'ROLE_STUDENT';

Answer 5

I needed this for SQL Server. Here it is:

UPDATE user_account 
SET student_education_facility_id = cnt.education_facility_id
from  (
   SELECT user_account_id,education_facility_id
   FROM user_account 
   WHERE user_type = 'ROLE_TEACHER'
) as cnt
WHERE user_account.user_type = 'ROLE_STUDENT' and cnt.user_account_id = user_account.teacher_id

I think it works with other RDBMSes (please confirm). I like the syntax because it's extensible.

The format I needed was this actually:

UPDATE table1 
SET f1 = cnt.computed_column
from  (
   SELECT id,computed_column --can be any complex subquery
   FROM table1
) as cnt
WHERE cnt.id = table1.id

Answer 6

UPDATE user_account student, (
   SELECT teacher.education_facility_id as teacherid
   FROM user_account teacher
   WHERE teacher.user_account_id = student.teacher_id AND teacher.user_type = 'ROLE_TEACHER'
) teach SET student.student_education_facility_id= teach.teacherid WHERE student.user_type = 'ROLE_STUDENT';