# Insert statement Question

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/insert-statement-question/8165>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Created:** [March 18, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/insert-statement-question/8165 "2014-03-18T13:43:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drewdin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/drewdin/32/3363_2.png) [@drewdin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/drewdin)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/insert-statement-question/8165/1 "2014-03-18T13:43:21Z")

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I have a basic Insert statement:

```auto
INSERT INTO my_table (column_1, column_2) VALUES ('X', 'Y')
```

I want to insert multiple values like so:

```auto
INSERT INTO my_table (column_1, column_2) VALUES ('A', 'B'), ('C', 'D'), ('E', 'F'), ('G', 'H')
```

Using the given DB scripting tools, I am not sure which one to use or how I separate the multiple Values.

runPrepQuery  
runPrepUpdate  
runUpdateQuery

I know i can just run a loop and run 4 insert statements but i was hoping to do it in one statement.

Thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![adamaustin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@adamaustin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/adamaustin)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/insert-statement-question/8165/2 "2014-03-18T14:05:52Z")

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You just insert the entire string in runUpdateQuery:

```auto
system.db.runUpdateQuery("INSERT INTO my_table (column_1, column_2) VALUES ('A', 'B'), ('C', 'D'), ('E', 'F'), ('G', 'H')")
```

…or use the runPrepUpdate:

```auto
system.db.runPrepUpdate("INSERT INTO my_table (column_1, column_2) VALUES (?, ?), (?, ?), (?, ?), (?, ?)", ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H'])
```

runPrepQuery is meant to execute only SELECT statements.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drewdin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/drewdin/32/3363_2.png) [@drewdin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/drewdin)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/insert-statement-question/8165/3 "2014-03-18T14:38:50Z")

</div>

Awesome, thanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drewdin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/drewdin/32/3363_2.png) [@drewdin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/drewdin)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/insert-statement-question/8165/4 "2014-03-18T18:34:25Z")

</div>

so i got it working with the “system.db.runUpdateQuery”, i was parsing an xml file for data building a dictionary and then converting it into a list of string inserts for the function.

Thanks again!