SQL Server - Insert

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Overview

You can use this Snap to insert new records into database tables. This Snap executes an SQL Insert statement with the specified values. Key-value pairs are used to insert columns and their respective values into the table columns. Missing columns from the document results in inserting null values into them.

Snap Type

The SQL Server Insert Snap is a WRITE-type Snap that inserts new records into a SQL database table.

Prerequisites

  • Valid client ID.

  • A valid database account with the required permissions.

Support for Ultra Pipelines

Works in Ultra Pipelines if batching is disabled.

Behavior change

As part of the JOOQ upgrade done in main25112, the SQL Server-Insert Snap displayed an error Caused by: java.lang.NumberFormatException: Character n is neither a decimal digit number, decimal point, nor "e" notation exponential mark when an empty string was inserted into an integer-type column. Now, The Snap inserts a null value in this scenario.

Limitations and Known Issues

None.

Supported Versions

This Snap supports SQL Server 2008 or newer.

Snap Views

Type

Format

Number of Views

Examples of Upstream and Downstream Snaps

Description

Type

Format

Number of Views

Examples of Upstream and Downstream Snaps

Description

Input 

Document

 

  • Min: 1

  • Max: 2

  • Mapper

  • JSON Generator

  • CSV Parser

The second input view can be added to use the metadata of the source table as a document so that the table is created in SQL with a similar schema as the source table. The metadata is not used if the table already exists.

Output

Document

  • Min: 0

  • Max: 1

  • JSON Generator

The Snap outputs one document for every record written, therefore any document processing Snap can be used downstream. 

If an output view is available, then the original document that was used to create the statement is written to the output with the status of the insert executed.

Database Write Snaps output all records of a batch (as configured in your account settings) to the error view if the write fails during processing.

Error

Error handling is a generic way to handle errors without losing data or failing the Snap execution. You can handle the errors that the Snap might encounter when running the Pipeline by choosing one of the following options from the When errors occur list under the Views tab. The available options are:

  • Stop Pipeline Execution: Stops the current Pipeline execution when the Snap encounters an error.

  • Discard Error Data and Continue: Ignores the error, discards that record, and continues with the remaining records.

  • Route Error Data to Error View: Routes the error data to an error view without stopping the Snap execution.

Learn more about Error handling in Pipelines.

Snap Settings

  • Asterisk (*): Indicates a mandatory field.

  • Suggestion icon (): Indicates a list that is dynamically populated based on the configuration.

  • Expression icon (): Indicates whether the value is an expression (if enabled) or a static value (if disabled). Learn more about Using Expressions in SnapLogic.

  • Add icon (): Indicates that you can add fields in the field set.

  • Remove icon (): Indicates that you can remove fields from the field set.

Field Name

Field Type

Description

Field Name

Field Type

Description

Label*

Default Value: SQL Server - Insert
Example: SQL Server - Insert

String

Specify a unique name for the Snap.

Schema Name

Default Value: N/A
Example: dbo

String/Expression

Specify the database schema name. In case it is not defined, then the suggestion for the Table Name will retrieve all tables names of all schemas. The property is suggestible and will retrieve available database schemas during suggest values.

The values can be passed using the Pipeline parameters but not the upstream parameter.

You cannot use Pipeline parameters within your SQL statement. If you need to use parameters, insert a Mapper (Data) Snap before the SQL Snap and call them there. The Snap can then use the substituted values through the input view.

Table Name*

Default Value: N/A
Example: dbo.people

String/Expression

Specify the name of a table to execute insert on.

 

Create table if not present


Default Value:  Deselected

Checkbox

Number of retries


Default Value: 0
Example: 3

Integer/Expression

Specify the maximum number of attempts to be made to receive a response. The request is terminated if the attempts do not result in a response.



Retry interval (seconds)


Default Value: 1
Example: 10

Integer/Expression

Specify the time interval between two successive retry requests. A retry happens only when the previous attempt resulted in an exception. 



Enable identity insert


Default Value: Deselected

Integer/Expression

Select the checkbox to insert values from the input document into the target table identity column. Ensure that the target table contains an identity column. If you do not select the check box, then do not enter any value for the identity column in the input document.

Snap Execution

Default Value: Execute only
Example: Validate & Execute

Dropdown list

Table Creation

If the table does not exist when the Snap tries to do the insert, and the Create table if not present field is selected, a new table is created with the columns and data types required to hold the values in the first input document. If you would like the table to be created with the same schema as a source table, you can connect the second output view of a Select Snap to the second input view of this Snap. The extra view in the Select and Bulk Load Snaps are used to pass metadata about the table, effectively allowing you to replicate a table from one database to another.

The table metadata document that is read in by the second input view contains a dump of the JDBC DatabaseMetaData class. The document can be manipulated to affect the CREATE TABLE statement that is generated by this Snap. For example, to rename the name column to full_name, you can use a Mapper Snap that sets the path $.columns.name.COLUMN_NAME to full_name.  The document contains the following fields:

  • columns - Contains the result of the getColumns() method with each column as a separate field in the object. Changing the COLUMN_NAME value will change the name of the column in the created table. Note that if you change a column name, you do not need to change the name of the field in the row input documents. The Snap will automatically translate from the original name to the new name. For example, when changing from name to full_name, the name field in the input document is put into the "full_name" column. You can also drop a column by setting the COLUMN_NAME value to null or the empty string.  The other fields of interest in the column definition are:

    • TYPE_NAME - The type to use for the column.  If this type is not known to the database, the DATA_TYPE field is used as a fallback.  If you want to explicitly set a type for a column, set the DATA_TYPE field.

    • _SL_PRECISION - Contains the result of the getPrecision() method.  This field is used with the _SL_SCALE field for setting the precision and scale of a DECIMAL or NUMERIC field.

    • _SL_SCALE - Contains the result of the getScale() method.  This field is used with the _SL_PRECISION field for setting the precision and scale of a DECIMAL or NUMERIC field.

  • primaryKeyColumns - Contains the result of the getPrimaryKeys() method with each column as a separate field in the object.

  • declaration - Contains the result of the getTables() method for this table. The values in this object are just informational. The target table name is taken from the Snap property.

  • importedKeys - Contains the foreign key information from the getImportedKeys() method. The generatedCREATE TABLE statement will include FOREIGN KEY constraints based on the contents of this object. Note that you will need to change the PKTABLE_NAME value if you changed the name of the referenced table when replicating it.

  • indexInfo - Contains the result of the getIndexInfo() method for this table with each index as a separated field in the object.  Any UNIQUE indexes in here will be included in the CREATE TABLE statement generated by this Snap.

Example

Inserting Data Into a Table

Download this pipeline.

The following example demonstrates how to insert data into a table. The customer1 table does not exist on the database initially. So, the Snap creates a table using the Create table if not present checkbox and inserts the data.

Step 1: Pass the data to insert using the JSON Generator Snap:

Step 2: Configure the Mapper Snap to map the data between the JSON Generator and SQL Server Insert Snaps.

Step 3: Configure the SQL Server Insert Snap to insert the data from the Mapper Snap into the newly created customer1 table under 'dbo' schema. On validation, the Snap displays the output with the success message of the inserted message.

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