In MySQL, can I copy one row to insert into the same table?

Question

insert into table select * from table where primarykey=1

I just want to copy one row to insert into the same table (i.e., I want to duplicate an ex

Answer 1

This procedure assumes that:

• you don't have _duplicate_temp_table
• your primary key is int
• you have access to create table

Of course this is not perfect, but in certain (probably most) cases it will work.

DELIMITER $$
CREATE PROCEDURE DUPLICATE_ROW(copytable VARCHAR(255), primarykey VARCHAR(255), copyid INT, out newid INT)
BEGIN
        DECLARE EXIT HANDLER FOR SQLEXCEPTION SET @error=1;
        SET @temptable = '_duplicate_temp_table';
        SET @sql_text = CONCAT('CREATE TABLE ', @temptable, ' LIKE ', copytable);
        PREPARE stmt FROM @sql_text;
        EXECUTE stmt;
        DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;
        SET @sql_text = CONCAT('INSERT INTO ', @temptable, ' SELECT * FROM ', copytable, ' where ', primarykey,'=', copyid);
        PREPARE stmt FROM @sql_text;
        EXECUTE stmt;
        DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;
        SET @sql_text = CONCAT('SELECT max(', primarykey, ')+1 FROM ', copytable, ' INTO @newid');
        PREPARE stmt FROM @sql_text;
        EXECUTE stmt;
        DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;
        SET @sql_text = CONCAT('UPDATE ', @temptable, ' SET ', primarykey, '=@newid');
        PREPARE stmt FROM @sql_text;
        EXECUTE stmt;
        DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;
        SET @sql_text = CONCAT('INSERT INTO ', copytable, ' SELECT * FROM ', @temptable, '');
        PREPARE stmt FROM @sql_text;
        EXECUTE stmt;
        DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;
        SET @sql_text = CONCAT('DROP TABLE ', @temptable);
        PREPARE stmt FROM @sql_text;
        EXECUTE stmt;
        DEALLOCATE PREPARE stmt;
        SELECT @newid INTO newid;
END $$
DELIMITER ;

CALL DUPLICATE_ROW('table', 'primarykey', 1, @duplicate_id);
SELECT @duplicate_id;