Postgres question: Can I easily update two columns in the same table with the same value, by setting one and then referring to the first column's new value to set the second?
In MariaDB I can do this:
update tablename set column1='new value', column2=column1
Is there a Postgres equivalent?
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@noelle Is there a reason you wouldn't want to just set the new value on both columns in the same command rather than self referencing?
I dont know if the self referencing would work, never tried but id imagine just setting the same value on both columns would be just as good and perhaps even a tad faster?
Ultimately id have to try it to see and dont have PSQL next to me right now.
@freemo The issue is scaling - in the actual case I need to update more than two columns with long values, and referencing previous updates gives less chance for error than typing/pasting multiple times. cc @craigmaloney
Thats fair, particularly if your just doing this manually. I had assumed this was done programatically where the variables were set in a local language and thus that wouldnt be an issue when translating it over to SQL... but yea if this is a by-hand operation on a DB i can see the need/advantage. Sorry I dont have a good answer for you.
