In this blog post, we will explore the concept of Row Constructors in SQL Server. Before SQL Server 2008, if you needed to insert multiple records into a table, you had to use separate INSERT INTO statements for each record. However, with the introduction of Row Constructors, you can now insert multiple records in a single transaction, saving time and reducing the number of locks acquired by the database.

Let’s start by creating a simple table called “Movie” with the following structure:

CREATE TABLE Movie
(
    m_id INT PRIMARY KEY,
    m_title VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
    m_Runtime INT NULL
)

To insert a single record into the “Movie” table, you would use the following INSERT INTO statement:

INSERT INTO Movie
VALUES (1, 'AList Explorers', 96)

If you want to insert multiple records at the same time, you can use multiple INSERT INTO statements. For example, to insert movie 2 and movie 3, you would use the following code:

INSERT INTO Movie
VALUES (2, 'Bonker Bonzo', 75)

INSERT INTO Movie
VALUES (3, 'Chumps to Champs', 75)

Each INSERT INTO statement will insert its respective record into the “Movie” table.

However, with the introduction of Row Constructors, you can achieve the same result with a single INSERT INTO statement. The syntax for using Row Constructors is as follows:

INSERT INTO Movie
VALUES (4, 'Dare or Die', 110, 'R'), (5, 'EeeeGhads', 88, 'G')

The above code will insert two records (m_id 4 and 5) into the “Movie” table. By using Row Constructors, you save time by not having to type multiple INSERT INTO statements, and SQL Server only acquires one lock instead of two, resulting in improved performance.

In conclusion, Row Constructors in SQL Server provide a convenient way to insert multiple records into a table with a single INSERT INTO statement. They save time and improve performance by reducing the number of locks acquired by the database. Next time you need to insert multiple records, consider using Row Constructors to streamline your code.

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. Happy coding!