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sqlsqlitesql-updatecommon-table-expression

How to use CTEs with update/delete on SQLite?

SQLite now has CTEs, and the documentation says you can use it with insert, update and delete queries -- but only gives examples of select statements.

I can figure out how CTEs apply to inserts, via insert-select; but how can we use them in update or delete, where there is no from-clause?

Solution

  • CTEs can be used in subqueries:

    WITH NewNames(ID, Name) AS (...)
UPDATE MyTable
SET Name = (SELECT Name
            FROM NewNames
            WHERE ID = MyTable.ID);

WITH IDsToDelete AS (...)
DELETE FROM MyTable
WHERE ID IN IDsToDelete;