SQL/MP Reference Manual

HP NonStop SQL/MP Reference Manual—523352-013
A-55
Considerations—APPEND
APPENDCANCEL operation executes, the target table contains exactly the
same data it had before the initial APPEND operation was started. (Any new
data added by the interrupted APPEND operation is removed from the target
table.)
For more information about these commands, see APPENDRESTART
Command on page A-58 and APPENDCANCEL Command on page A-56.

If you repeat an APPEND command that terminated successfully on an entry-
sequenced table, the target table will contain duplicate data. Do not repeat an
APPEND command unless you want to create duplicate data in the target table.

APPEND resembles COPY in that both transfer data from an existing source to an
existing target without overwriting or erasing target data.
Major differences between APPEND and COPY:

APPEND is faster than COPY.

APPEND cannot run within a user-defined TMF transaction. COPY can run
within a user-defined TMF transaction.

APPEND writes only to entry-sequenced and key-sequenced SQL tables.
COPY writes to all types of SQL tables in addition to Enscribe files.

APPEND does not write to SQL tables with indexes. COPY writes to SQL
tables with indexes and automatically updates the indexes.

APPEND adds data only to the end of a table or partition. COPY can interleave
new rows with existing rows.

APPEND resembles LOAD in that both transfer data from an existing source to an
existing target. Neither APPEND nor LOAD can run within a user-defined TMF
transaction, and both require that you turn off auditing when transferring data to an
entire table. Like LOAD, APPEND starts an external sort process to sort the data
unless you specify the SORTED option. All considerations listed for LOAD that do
not require an Enscribe out-file are true for APPEND.
Major differences between APPEND and LOAD:

APPEND is typically used to add data to a file that already contains data.
LOAD is typically used to enter initial data into an empty file.

APPEND does not erase or overwrite existing records. LOAD erases or
overwrites existing records.

APPEND writes only to entry-sequenced and key-sequenced SQL tables.
LOAD writes to all types of SQL tables and Enscribe files.

APPEND does not write to SQL tables with indexes. LOAD allows the target to
have indexes and re-creates indexes for SQL tables.

APPEND runs normally and reports no errors when in-file is empty. LOAD
terminates and reports an error when the input file is empty.