Best way to update a table with disinct values

Question

Hi, i would really appreciate some advise:
I need to reguarly perform a task where i update 1 table with all the new data that has been entered from another table. I cant perform a complete insert as this will create duplicate data every time it runs so the only way i can think of is using cursors as per the script below:
CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE update_new_mem IS
tmpVar NUMBER;
CURSOR c_mem IS
SELECT member_name,member_id
FROM gym.members;
crec c_mem%ROWTYPE;
BEGIN
OPEN c_mem;
LOOP
FETCH c_mem INTO crec;
EXIT WHEN c_mem%NOTFOUND;
BEGIN
UPDATE gym.lifts
SET name = crec.member_name
WHERE member_id = crec.member_id;
EXCEPTION
WHEN NO_DATA_FOUND THEN NULL;
END;
IF SQL%NOTFOUND THEN
BEGIN
INSERT INTO gym.lifts
(name,member_id)
VALUES (crec.member_name,crec.member_id);
END;
END IF;
END LOOP;
CLOSE c_mem;
END update_new_mem;
This method works but is there an easier (faster) way to update another table with new data only?
Many thanks

Answer 1

>
This method works but is there an easier (faster) way to update another table with new data only?
>
Almost anything would be better than that slow-by-slow loop processing.
You don't need a procedure you should just use MERGE for that. See the examples in the MERGE section of the SQL Language doc
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B28359_01/server.111/b28286/statements_9016.htm
MERGE INTO bonuses D
   USING (SELECT employee_id, salary, department_id FROM employees
   WHERE department_id = 80) S
   ON (D.employee_id = S.employee_id)
   WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE SET D.bonus = D.bonus + S.salary*.01
     DELETE WHERE (S.salary > 8000)
   WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN INSERT (D.employee_id, D.bonus)
     VALUES (S.employee_id, S.salary*.01)
     WHERE (S.salary <= 8000);