Question

i was wondering if it is possible to execute multiple sql statements in 1 go.
For example the scenario that i want to delete rows from multiple tables, is there a way i can do things like..

<delete id="delete" parameterType="String">
    DELETE FROM DUMMYTABLE_A where X=${value}
    DELETE FROM DUMMYTABLE_B where X=${value}
</delete>

Answer 1

Yes, most databases allow this. Usually you have to delimit your SQL statements with something. In PostGRES and MySQL it’s a semicolon (;). In Microsoft SQL server you should use the keyword GO. [ May 2013 Update: As of SQL Server 2012, you can and should use semicolons to delimit your statements. After SQL Server 2012 (ie. the next version and beyond) these will be mandatory. Using GO is now the deprecated way to do things in SQL2012 and beyond). ]

MySQL / PostGRES example:

 DELETE FROM DUMMYTABLE_A where X=${value};
 DELETE FROM DUMMYTABLE_B where X=${value};
 DELETE FROM DUMMYTABLE_C where X=${value};

MS-SQL example:

 DELETE FROM DUMMYTABLE_A where X=${value}
 GO
 DELETE FROM DUMMYTABLE_B where X=${value}
 GO
 DELETE FROM DUMMYTABLE_C where X=${value}

Better databases (ie. not MySQL) will also support transactions with BEGIN TRAN / COMMIT TRAN / ROLLBACK TRAN. Using transactions you can actually batch all the statements into one atomic operation, where if part of it failed, all three would be rolled back. See http://www.sqlteam.com/article/introduction-to-transactions for some more information about those.

Most likely all you need is the semicolons between your SQL statements though!