RE: Problem with SQL updating a field from a field in anotherfile - Resolved, thank you!

I wish to thank those who responded to my original  post and, as always happens 
on this list, provided valuable input to the solution of my problem. Many of 
the suggested methods work fine and now I'm left with deciding which one should 
I use (life's hard).
 
I'm clearly not an SQL wizard, but the syntaxes that make more sense to my 
shallow mind are the two suggested by Charles:
Assign some other value instead of NULL to #5

1) update PROJECT A                              
set A.EMPNAM = coalesce((select B.NAME        
                          from EMPMASTER B       
                          where A.EMPCDE = B.CODE
                         )                      
                 , A.EMPNAM )                 
2) don't  update #5 at all
update PROJECT A 
set A.EMPNAM = (select B.NAME 
                from EMPMASTER B 
                where A.EMPCDE = B.CODE
               )
Where A.EMPCDE in (Select C.CODE 
                    FROM EMPMASTER C
               ) 
(I'll probably end up using option 2 simply because is closer to my way of 
thinking as an RPG programmer).
 
The method suggested by ebudimlic@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx also works fine:
 
update PROJECT A set A.EMPNAM = (select B.NAME 
                                 from EMPMASTER B 
                                 where A.EMPCDE = B.CODE)
WHERE EXISTS (select 1
              from EMPMASTER B 
              where A.EMPCDE = B.CODE)
although I have some difficulties understanding that "select 1" 
 
As far as the indications from Rob, I haven't really tried because they use 
inner joins and look to me more complex than the others.
 
Many thanks again. 

 
 
Valerio Vincenti
IT Business Analyst
County of Spotsylvania, I.S. Department
Spotsylvania, VA 22553
Phone (540) 507-7507
Fax (540) 582-9841
e-mail: vvincenti@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx