RE: SQL question

First subselect performs a join and picks the rows whose columns are going
to be used in the update.
Second subselect uses the existence clause to ensure that only matching rows
are updated, with non-matching rows left untouched.
Two subselects MUST have identical WHERE clauses for the UPDATE to work as
desired.

As a side note, this UPDATE could look "prettier" in MS-SQL syntax as it
allows familiar JOIN syntax to be used in UPDATE clauses. However, that
does not comply with SQL standards and System i does not permit for it (nor
do any other DB2 flavors). Instead, joins are done within the subselect as
I've demonstrated.

Elvis

RPG & DB2 Summit | Minneapolis | October 1-4
Mike Cain - DB2 for i5/OS Temporary Indexes - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
October 16
2007 System i Fall Technical Conference | Orlando | November 4-7
Celebrating 10-Years of SQL Performance Excellence on IBM System i, eServer
iSeries and the server affectionately known as the AS/400

-----Original Message-----
Subject: RE: SQL question

Assumptions are correct.

Why is the subselect required? Is that how the second table is
associated with
the alias ('a' in this case)?

John McKee


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