INSERT VALUES WHERE NOT EXISTS

Question

OK so I\'m trying to improve my asp data entry page to ensure that the entry going into my data table is unique.

So in this table I have SoftwareName and SoftwareTyp

Answer 1

This isn't an answer. I just want to show that IF NOT EXISTS(...) INSERT method isn't safe. You have to execute first Session #1 and then Session #2. After v #2 you will see that without an UNIQUE index you could get duplicate pairs (SoftwareName,SoftwareSystemType). Delay from session #1 is used to give you enough time to execute the second script (session #2). You could reduce this delay.

Session #1 (SSMS > New Query > F5 (Execute))

CREATE DATABASE DemoEXISTS;
GO
USE DemoEXISTS;
GO
CREATE TABLE dbo.Software(
    SoftwareID INT PRIMARY KEY,
    SoftwareName NCHAR(400) NOT NULL,  
    SoftwareSystemType NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL
);
GO

INSERT INTO dbo.Software(SoftwareID,SoftwareName,SoftwareSystemType)
VALUES (1,'Dynamics AX 2009','ERP');
INSERT INTO dbo.Software(SoftwareID,SoftwareName,SoftwareSystemType)
VALUES (2,'Dynamics NAV 2009','SCM');
INSERT INTO dbo.Software(SoftwareID,SoftwareName,SoftwareSystemType)
VALUES (3,'Dynamics CRM 2011','CRM');
INSERT INTO dbo.Software(SoftwareID,SoftwareName,SoftwareSystemType)
VALUES (4,'Dynamics CRM 2013','CRM');
INSERT INTO dbo.Software(SoftwareID,SoftwareName,SoftwareSystemType)
VALUES (5,'Dynamics CRM 2015','CRM');
GO
/*
CREATE UNIQUE INDEX IUN_Software_SoftwareName_SoftareSystemType
ON dbo.Software(SoftwareName,SoftwareSystemType);
GO
*/

-- Session #1
BEGIN TRANSACTION;
    UPDATE  dbo.Software
    SET     SoftwareName='Dynamics CRM',
            SoftwareSystemType='CRM'    
    WHERE   SoftwareID=5;

    WAITFOR DELAY '00:00:15' -- 15 seconds delay; you have less than 15 seconds to switch SSMS window to session #2

    UPDATE  dbo.Software
    SET     SoftwareName='Dynamics AX',
            SoftwareSystemType='ERP'
    WHERE   SoftwareID=1;
COMMIT
--ROLLBACK
PRINT 'Session #1 results:';
SELECT *
FROM dbo.Software;

Session #2 (SSMS > New Query > F5 (Execute))

USE DemoEXISTS;
GO
-- Session #2
DECLARE 
    @SoftwareName NVARCHAR(100),  
    @SoftwareSystemType NVARCHAR(50);
SELECT
    @SoftwareName=N'Dynamics AX',
    @SoftwareSystemType=N'ERP';

PRINT 'Session #2 results:';
IF NOT EXISTS(SELECT *
    FROM dbo.Software s
    WHERE s.SoftwareName=@SoftwareName 
    AND s.SoftwareSystemType=@SoftwareSystemType)
BEGIN
    PRINT 'Session #2: INSERT';

    INSERT INTO dbo.Software(SoftwareID,SoftwareName,SoftwareSystemType)
    VALUES (6,@SoftwareName,@SoftwareSystemType);
END 
PRINT 'Session #2: FINISH';
SELECT  * 
FROM    dbo.Software;

Results:

Session #1 results:
SoftwareID  SoftwareName      SoftwareSystemType
----------- ----------------- ------------------
1           Dynamics AX       ERP
2           Dynamics NAV 2009 SCM
3           Dynamics CRM 2011 CRM
4           Dynamics CRM 2013 CRM
5           Dynamics CRM      CRM

Session #2 results:
Session #2: INSERT
Session #2: FINISH
SoftwareID  SoftwareName      SoftwareSystemType
----------- ----------------- ------------------
1           Dynamics AX       ERP <-- duplicate (row updated by session #1)
2           Dynamics NAV 2009 SCM
3           Dynamics CRM 2011 CRM
4           Dynamics CRM 2013 CRM
5           Dynamics CRM      CRM
6           Dynamics AX       ERP <-- duplicate (row inserted by session #2)