Part 41: Inserting Single Rows with INSERT INTO ... VALUES

The INSERT statement adds new records to a table.

1. Syntax

INSERT INTO users (email, password_hash, first_name, last_name)
VALUES ('alex@devify.com', 'hashed_pw_123', 'Alex', 'Vance');

2. Returning Inserted Data (RETURNING in PostgreSQL)

In PostgreSQL, retrieve auto-generated IDs immediately without a separate query:

INSERT INTO users (email, password_hash, first_name, last_name)
VALUES ('clara@devify.com', 'hashed_pw_456', 'Clara', 'Oswald')
RETURNING id, created_at;

Key Takeaways

• Always explicitly specify target column lists in INSERT INTO.
• Use RETURNING in PostgreSQL to retrieve generated IDs instantly.

In Part 42, we explore Bulk Inserting Multiple Rows Efficiently!