Question

I usually create update statements like this. But I know there is a better way. How can I approve upon this? *Note the sample below is pseudo demo, may not run.

<cffunction name="updateEmp" returntype="void">
    <cfargument name="empId" required="yes" hint="empId">
    <cfargument name="firstName" required="yes" hint="firstName">
    <cfargument name="lastName" required="yes" hint="lastName">

    <!--- Get emp details in db --->
   <cfquery datasource="#ds#" name="getEmployee">
        SELECT *
        FROM Employee
        WHERE  emp_id = <cfqueryparam
                value="#arguments.empId#" 
                CFSQLType="CF_SQL_INTEGER">
    </cfquery>

    <!--- If employee is in db or if emp db details are different --->
    <cfif getEmployee.recordCount eq 1 
            and getEmployee.firstName neq trim(arguments.firstName) 
             or getEmployee.lastName  neq trim(arguments.lastName)>

        <cfquery name="UpdateExistingEmployee" datasource="#ds#">

                UPDATE Employee
                SET 1 = 1
                    <cfif getEmployee.firstName neq trim(arguments.firstName)>
                        ,firstName = <cfqueryparam 
                                    value="#arguments.firstName#" 
                                    CFSQLType="CF_SQL_VARCHAR" >
                    </cfif>

                    <cfif getEmployee.lastName neq trim(arguments.lastName)>
                        ,lastName = <cfqueryparam 
                                    value="#arguments.lastName#" 
                                    CFSQLType="CF_SQL_VARCHAR" >
                    </cfif>

                WHERE emp_id=<cfqueryparam
                    value="#emp_id#" 
                    CFSQLType="CF_SQL_INTEGER">

        </cfquery>

    </cfif>
    <!--- maybe return success? --->
</cffunction>

Edited:

<cffunction name="updateEmp" returntype="void">
        <cfargument name="empId" required="yes" hint="empId">
        <cfargument name="firstName" required="yes" hint="firstName">
        <cfargument name="lastName" required="yes" hint="lastName">

            <cfquery name="UpdateExistingEmployee" datasource="#ds#">

                    UPDATE Employee
                        SET firstName = <cfqueryparam 
                                        value="#arguments.firstName#" 
                                        CFSQLType="CF_SQL_VARCHAR" >

                            ,lastName = <cfqueryparam 
                                        value="#arguments.lastName#" 
                                        CFSQLType="CF_SQL_VARCHAR" >

                    WHERE emp_id=<cfqueryparam
                        value="#emp_id#" 
                        CFSQLType="CF_SQL_INTEGER">

            </cfquery>

        <!--- maybe return success? --->
    </cffunction>

Answer 1

Not sure what you are trying to improve. If you just want to write less code you might just do an update:

<cffunction name="updateEmp" returntype="void">
    <cfargument name="empId" required="yes" hint="empId">
    <cfargument name="firstName" required="yes" hint="firstName">
    <cfargument name="lastName" required="yes" hint="lastName">
    <cfquery name="UpdateExistingEmployee" datasource="#ds#">
      UPDATE Employee
      SET firstName = <cfqueryparam value="#arguments.firstName#" CFSQLType="CF_SQL_VARCHAR">
          ,lastName = <cfqueryparam value="#arguments.lastName#" CFSQLType="CF_SQL_VARCHAR" >
      WHERE emp_id=<cfqueryparam value="#emp_id#" CFSQLType="CF_SQL_INTEGER">
    </cfquery>
</cffunction>

The check for an existing record is pretty much superfluous since the where clause will prevent any action if no emp_id matches, and why bother checking if the names match? If they do, then you just updated them to be the same, if they don’t you’re going to update them anyway. There’s no logical reason to be doing all that checking.