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Databases Modifying Data with SQL Updating Data in a Database Update All Rows or Columns in a Table

Yao Tung Ooi
Yao Tung Ooi
13,744 Points
Posted by Yao Tung Ooi
Yao Tung Ooi
13,744 Points

In the case where you updated all emails to anon@email.com, what happens if the email field is a unique key?

In the case where you updated all emails to anon@email.com, what happens if the email field is a unique key?

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
229,732 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
229,732 Points

If a field is a unique key, then any attempt to write a value into a row that already exists in another row will fail and produce an error message.

Another result of making a field a unique key is that is cannot be optional. There can be at most one row where the field is null, in all other rows a unique value must be part of the record when it is inserted.