Copy a column content in another one only if empty

for MS SQL 2000
table [Users] :
[id_Users] [int] NOT NULL ,
[Name] [varchar] (25) NOT NULL,
[Alias] [varchar] (25) NULL
how can I copy the content of [Name] into the column [Alias] only if [Alias] is Empty ?
thank you--I ve consider null value also in this code.
update Users
set Alias=Name where Alias is null or ltrim(rtrim(Alias))=''|||wonderfull !

it works :-)

thanks a lot

Converting NULL to a Text String

I'm using UPDATE as follows"

UPDATE Dubai

SET DB = 'D'

WHERE DB = NULL

but nothing happens. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

Your update needs to be modified from this:

Code Snippet

UPDATE Dubai

SET DB = 'D'

WHERE DB = NULL

to this:

Code Snippet

UPDATE Dubai

SET DB = 'D'

WHERE DB IS NULL

In older version of SQL Server your syntax would have worked. Null is considered a state and not a value. Null is considered a state. To check to see if a column is in a null state the syntax is to check if the column "is null".

|||

Just in addition and for reference:

http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/jtravis/understandingthedifferencebetweenisnull.asp

Jens K. Suessmeyer

http://www.sqlserver2005.de

converting mysql 2 sql 2000

how do i go about converting the Mysql Script below to Sql Server Script ??

CREATE TABLE cat (
id int NOT NULL auto_increment,
name char(20) NOT NULL default '',
PRIMARY KEY (id)
);

INSERT INTO cat VALUES (1,'Not Categorised');

ALTER TABLE cat AUTO_INCREMENT = 5;

i want a script that:
creates the table
inserts a row of data and then
sets the increment field to start at 5

i tried using identity(1,1) and
SET IDENTITY_INSERT cat ON;
INSERT INTO cat VALUES (1,'Not Categorised');

but when i enter the data in i get the error below

An explicit value for the identity column in table 'cat' can only be specified when a column list is used and IDENTITY_INSERT is ON.

please can anyone help or advice

thanksOriginally posted by m.inckle
how do i go about converting the Mysql Script below to Sql Server Script ??

CREATE TABLE cat (
id int NOT NULL auto_increment,
name char(20) NOT NULL default '',
PRIMARY KEY (id)
);

INSERT INTO cat VALUES (1,'Not Categorised');

ALTER TABLE cat AUTO_INCREMENT = 5;

i want a script that:
creates the table
inserts a row of data and then
sets the increment field to start at 5

i tried using identity(1,1) and
SET IDENTITY_INSERT cat ON;
INSERT INTO cat VALUES (1,'Not Categorised');

but when i enter the data in i get the error below

An explicit value for the identity column in table 'cat' can only be specified when a column list is used and IDENTITY_INSERT is ON.

please can anyone help or advice

thanks
create table as:
CREATE TABLE cat (
id int NOT NULL ,
name char(20) NOT NULL default '',
PRIMARY KEY (id)
);
then insert the record:
INSERT INTO cat VALUES (1,'Not Categorised');

then go to the enterprise manager->design table and set the identity property of the table to yes with value 5.|||Originally posted by harshal_in
create table as:
CREATE TABLE cat (
id int NOT NULL ,
name char(20) NOT NULL default '',
PRIMARY KEY (id)
);
then insert the record:
INSERT INTO cat VALUES (1,'Not Categorised');

then go to the enterprise manager->design table and set the identity property of the table to yes with value 5.

is there any way to do this in a script ???|||Originally posted by harshal_in
create table as:
CREATE TABLE cat (
id int NOT NULL ,
name char(20) NOT NULL default '',
PRIMARY KEY (id)
);
then insert the record:
INSERT INTO cat VALUES (1,'Not Categorised');

then go to the enterprise manager->design table and set the identity property of the table to yes with value 5.

is there a way of altering an identity column in a table like below

ALTER TABLE cat ALTER COLUMN id INT NOT NULL identity(5,1);

i always get
Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'identity'.|||Originally posted by m.inckle
is there a way of altering an identity column in a table like below

ALTER TABLE cat ALTER COLUMN id INT NOT NULL identity(5,1);

i always get
Incorrect syntax near the keyword 'identity'.
no. as far as my knowledge goes you can't add identity to an existing column thru alter table, u have to add a new column for it.
so the easiest way is to use enterprise manager.