.. highlight:: cql

.. _insert-statement:

INSERT
^^^^^^

Inserting data for a row is done using an ``INSERT`` statement:

.. code-block::
   
   insert_statement:  INSERT INTO table_name ( `names_values` | `json_clause` )
                   :  [ IF NOT EXISTS ]
                   :  [ USING `update_parameter` ( AND `update_parameter` )* ];
   names_values: `names` VALUES `tuple_literal`
   json_clause:  JSON `string` [ DEFAULT ( NULL | UNSET ) ]
   names: '(' `column_name` ( ',' `column_name` )* ')'
   update_parameter: ( TIMESTAMP `int_value` | TTL  `int_value` | TIMEOUT `duration` )
   int_value: ( `integer` | `bind_marker` )

For example:

.. code-block:: cql

    INSERT INTO NerdMovies (movie, director, main_actor, year)
          VALUES ('Serenity', 'Joss Whedon', 'Nathan Fillion', 2005)
          USING TTL 86400 IF NOT EXISTS;

The ``INSERT`` statement writes one or more columns for a given row in a table. Note that since a row is identified by
its ``PRIMARY KEY``, at least the columns composing it must be specified. The list of columns to insert to must be
supplied when using the ``VALUES`` syntax.

Note that unlike in SQL, ``INSERT`` does not check the prior existence of the row by default: the row is created if none
existed before, and updated otherwise. Furthermore, there is no means to know which of creation or update happened.

All updates of an ``INSERT`` are applied atomically, meaning the
statement can not have a partial effect on database state.

It can, however, leave some of the columns unchanged due to the semantics
of eventual consistency on an event of a timestamp collision:

``INSERT`` statements happening concurrently at different cluster
nodes proceed without coordination. Eventually cell values
supplied by a statement with the highest timestamp will prevail (see :ref:`update ordering <update-ordering>`).

Unless a timestamp is provided by the client, ScyllaDB will automatically
generate a timestamp with microsecond precision for each
column assigned by ``INSERT``. ScyllaDB ensures timestamps created
by the same node are unique. Timestamps assigned at different
nodes are not guaranteed to be globally unique.
With a steadily high write rate timestamp collision
is not unlikely. If it happens, i.e. two ``INSERTS`` have the same
timestamp, a conflict resolution algorithm determines which of the inserted cells prevails (see :ref:`update ordering <update-ordering>`).

Please refer to the :ref:`update parameters <update-parameters>` section for more information on the :token:`update_parameter`.

.. code-block:: cql

    INSERT INTO NerdMovies  (movie, director, main_actor)
    VALUES ('Serenity', 'Anonymous', 'Unknown')
    USING TIMESTAMP  1442880000000000;
    INSERT INTO NerdMovies  (movie, director, main_actor)
    VALUES ('Serenity', 'Joseph Whedon', 'Nathan Fillion')
    USING TIMESTAMP 1442880000000000;

    SELECT movie, director, main_actor FROM NerdMovies WHERE movie = 'Serenity'

.. code-block:: none

   movie    | director      | main_actor
   ----------+---------------+------------
   Serenity | Joseph Whedon |    Unknown


``INSERT`` is not required to assign all columns, so if two
statements modify the same primary key but assign different
columns effects of both statements are preserved:

.. code-block:: cql

    INSERT INTO NerdMovies (movie, director, main_actor)
          VALUES ('Serenity', 'Joss Whedon', 'Nathan Fillion');
    INSERT INTO NerdMovies (movie, director, year)
          VALUES ('Serenity', 'Josseph Hill Whedon', 2005);
    SELECT * FROM NerdMovies WHERE movie = 'Serenity'

.. code-block:: none

   ╭─────────┬───────────────────┬──────────────┬─────╮
   │movie    │director           │main_actor    │year │
   ├─────────┼───────────────────┼──────────────┼─────┤
   │Serenity │Joseph Hill Whedon │Nathan Fillion│2005 │
   ╰─────────┴───────────────────┴──────────────┴─────╯

Also note that ``INSERT`` does not support counters, while ``UPDATE`` does.

.. note:: You can use the ``IF NOT EXISTS`` condition with the ``INSERT`` statement. When this is used, the insert is only made if the row does not exist prior to the insertion. Each such ``INSERT`` gets a globally unique timestamp. Using ``IF NOT EXISTS`` incurs a non-negligible performance cost (internally, as Paxos will be used), so use ``IF NOT EXISTS`` wisely.


If :ref:`enabled <cdc-options>` on a table, you can use UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE statements with Change Data Capture (CDC) tables.

.. to-do - add link to cdc doc


:doc:`Apache Cassandra Query Language (CQL) Reference </cql/index>`

.. include:: /rst_include/apache-copyrights.rst


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..
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