Sheeri is correct. Rich's statement should have worked. What Rich is looking for is the syntax for doing what the manual calls "extended inserts".
quoting TFM (http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/insert.html) >>>> INSERT [LOW_PRIORITY | DELAYED | HIGH_PRIORITY] [IGNORE] [INTO] tbl_name [(col_name,...)] VALUES ({expr | DEFAULT},...),(...),... [ ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE col_name=expr, ... ] <<<< That means that his 4 statements could be rewritten as : INSERT INTO mytable (myfield) VALUES ('alpha'), ('bravo'), ('charlie'), ('delta'); Which is what he posted as his "desired" syntax. What puzzles me is if he got it right the first time, why did he post the question? Shawn Green Database Administrator Unimin Corporation - Spruce Pine "sheeri kritzer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote on 03/30/2006 12:41:01 AM: > That is, in fact, the exact correct syntax. What error are you > getting when you try to run that on the commandline? What version of > MySQL are you using? > > -Sheeri > > On 3/29/06, Rich <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi folks. I come to the list with another compound question. > > > > My middleware allows me to build any syntax for the actual sql > > statement, so I'm trying to minimize the work done to insert several > > records at one try. I currently have multiple insert statements, but > > can't find any reference to multiple records added using one insert > > statement. I now have: > > > > -SQL = "INSERT INTO mytable (myfield) VALUES ('alpha');INSERT INTO > > mytable (myfield) VALUES ('bravo');INSERT INTO mytable (myfield) VALUES > > ('charlie');INSERT INTO mytable (myfield) VALUES ('delta');" > > > > What I would like to find is this: > > > > -SQL = "INSERT INTO mytable (myfield) VALUES ('alpha'), ('bravo'), > > ('charlie'), ('delta')"; > > > > I am either looking in the wrong place in Dubois (Third) or it can't be > > done. > > > > Any recommendations? > > > > Appreciate it. > > > > Cheers > >