SQL Insert if not exists with psycopg2

Question

I want to insert some values in a postgres database with a python script, but when I try it with my code below I get a syntaxerror at my first IF.

sql_string = "BEGIN IF (NOT EXISTS(SELECT * FROM table WHERE nm=name))
            BEGIN INSERT INTO table(nm, nb)
            VALUES (%s, %s) END END"
cur.execute(sql_string, (name, number))

Would be nice if someone has an idea. thanks :)

There is no `IF(...)` in SQL. Put the condition in the where clause instead. : `INSERT INTO the_table(column_list) value_list WHERE NOT EXISTS (select 1 from same_table WHERE same_condition)` — joop, May 29 '15 at 10:53
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1109061/insert-on-duplicate-update-in-postgresql — Ihor Pomaranskyy, May 29 '15 at 10:53
@Dan Bracuk it's about PostgreSQL. Which is accessed from Python with psycopg2. — Ihor Pomaranskyy, May 29 '15 at 11:07

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 29 '15 at 11:06

1

This approach is database agnostic.

 insert into yourtable
 (field1, field2, etc)
 select distinct value1, value2, etc
 from some_small_table
 where not exists
 (subquery to check for existing records)

answered May 29 '15 at 11:06

Dan Bracuk

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SQL Insert if not exists with psycopg2

1 Answers1