Is it Better to Execute Multiple `INSERT` Statements Separately or in a Single Query?

Executing Multiple MySQL INSERT Statements in a Single Query

Original Question:

Is it possible to execute multiple INSERT statements in a single MySQL query?

Answer Breakdown:

While it is technically possible to concatenate multiple INSERT statements into a single query using the semicolon (;) as a statement separator, it is not the optimal approach.

Recommended Practice:

For efficiency and maintainability, it is generally recommended to use separate INSERT statements for each data set, even when inserting into the same table. This allows for better error handling and reduces the possibility of data inconsistencies.

Example of Separate INSERT Statements:

<code class="php">$string1 = "INSERT INTO table1 (column1, column2) VALUES (1, 'John');";
$string2 = "INSERT INTO table1 (column1, column2) VALUES (2, 'Mary');";

mysql_query($string1) or die(mysql_error());
mysql_query($string2) or die(mysql_error());</code>

Alternative approach using a single INSERT statement with multiple values:

In certain scenarios, it may be more efficient to insert multiple values using a single INSERT statement with a comma-separated list of values.

Example of INSERT statement with multiple values:

<code class="php">$string3 = "INSERT INTO table1 (column1, column2) VALUES (1, 'John'), (2, 'Mary');";

mysql_query($string3) or die(mysql_error());</code>

Note that this approach is only suitable if all values are being inserted into the same table with the same columns.

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