SQL: does if/else work as a query or only in a SP?

Question

I'd like to insert a record if it doesn't exist or UPDATE it
if it does. I'm
doing this through a query via my app:
IF EXISTS (SELECT siteID
FROM weSiteMenusXML
WHERE siteID = 1)
INSERT
INTO weSiteMenusXML(siteID)
VALUES (1) ELSE
UPDATE weSiteMenusXML
SET xml = 'boo'
WHERE siteID = 1
Enterprise manager seems to be fine with this syntax, but it
doesn't
actually do anything. Is SQL if/else logic only applicable to
stored
procedures or is there just something goofy with my syntax?
-Darrel

Answer 1

Hi Darrel,
If your example below is the same as your actual code in your
app then it
won't do anything. You are basically telling SQL to look if a
record exists
with a siteID of 1 and if there is such a record then insert
a record with
the identical value. If that record doesn't exist then you
are instructing
it to do an update on this non-existent row (siteID of 1).
Surely your SQL
should look something like this:
IF EXISTS (SELECT siteID
FROM weSiteMenusXML
WHERE siteID = 1)
UPDATE weSiteMenusXML
SET xml = 'boo'
WHERE siteID = 1
ELSE
INSERT
INTO weSiteMenusXML(siteID)
VALUES (1)
Pat.
"darrel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:e55h0u$jsh$[email protected]..
> I'd like to insert a record if it doesn't exist or
UPDATE it if it does.
> I'm doing this through a query via my app:
>
> IF EXISTS (SELECT siteID
> FROM weSiteMenusXML
> WHERE siteID = 1)
> INSERT
> INTO weSiteMenusXML(siteID)
> VALUES (1) ELSE
> UPDATE weSiteMenusXML
> SET xml = 'boo'
> WHERE siteID = 1
>
> Enterprise manager seems to be fine with this syntax,
but it doesn't
> actually do anything. Is SQL if/else logic only
applicable to stored
> procedures or is there just something goofy with my
syntax?
>
> -Darrel
>