SQL/MP Programming Manual for C
Data Retrieval and Modification
HP NonStop SQL/MP Programming Manual for C—429847-008
4-12
Updating Multiple Rows
If the UPDATE operation fails, check for SQL error 8227, which indicates you 
attempted to update a row with an existing key (primary or unique alternate). 
Updating Multiple Rows 
If you do not need to check a value in a row before you update the row, use a single 
UPDATE statement to update multiple rows in a table. 
This example updates the SALARY column of all rows in the EMPLOYEE table where 
the SALARY value is less than hostvar_min_salary. A user enters the values for 
hostvar_inc and hostvar_min_salary. 
EXEC SQL 
 UPDATE persnl.employee
 SET salary = salary * :hostvar_inc 
 WHERE salary < :hostvar_min_salary; 
This example updates all rows in the EMPLOYEE.DEPTNUM column that contain the 
value in hostvar_old_deptnum. After the update, all employees who were in the 
department specified by hostvar_old_deptnum moved to the department specified 
by hostvar_new_deptnum. A user enters the values for hostvar_old_deptnum 
and hostvar_new_deptnum. 
EXEC SQL UPDATE persnl.employee
 SET deptnum = :hostvar_new_deptnum 
 WHERE deptnum = :hostvar_old_deptnum;
Updating Columns With Null Values 
This example updates the specified SALARY column to a null value using an indicator 
variable. The set_to_nulls host variable specifies the row to update. 
/* indicator-var is set to -1 */ 
EXEC SQL UPDATE persnl.employee
 SET SALARY = :emp_tbl.salary 
 INDICATOR :indicator_var 
 WHERE :emp_tbl.jobcode = set_to_nulls; 
This example uses the NULL keyword instead of an indicator variable: 
EXEC SQL UPDATE persnl.employee SET SALARY = NULL
 WHERE :emp_tbl.jobcode = set_to_nulls; 
DELETE Statement 
The DELETE statement deletes one or more rows from a table or protection view. If 
you delete all rows from a table, the table still exists until it is deleted from the catalog 
by a DROP TABLE statement. (To delete a set of rows, one row at a time using a 
cursor, see Using SQL Cursors on page 4-14.) 










