Question

I wrote a script against SQL 2008 which worked fine:

INSERT INTO ITEM_TABLE VALUES((SELECT ISNULL(MAX(PK_COLUMN),0) + 1
FROM ITEM_TABLE), 'Data 1', @HeadSeq)
INSERT INTO ITEM_TABLE VALUES((SELECT ISNULL(MAX(PK_COLUMN),0) + 1
FROM ITEM_TABLE), 'Data 2', @HeadSeq)
...
INSERT INTO ITEM_TABLE VALUES((SELECT ISNULL(MAX(PK_COLUMN),0) + 1
FROM ITEM_TABLE), 'Data 73', @HeadSeq)

However in 2005 it gives this error for each line:

Subqueries are not allowed in this context. Only scalar expressions are allowed.

Is there a better way of solving this rather than doing the following? (which would would make slotting one in the middle difficult)

DECLARE @SequenceCounter INT
SELECT @SequenceCounter = ISNULL(MAX(PK_COLUMN),0) FROM ITEM_TABLE

INSERT INTO ITEM_TABLE VALUES(@SequenceCounter + 1, 'Data 1', @HeadSeq)

INSERT INTO ITEM_TABLE VALUES(@SequenceCounter + 2, 'Data 2', @HeadSeq)
...
INSERT INTO ITEM_TABLE VALUES(@SequenceCounter + 73, 'Data 73', @HeadSeq)

I am aware this should be solved by first inserting the data into a table with an automatic primary key, and then transfer the data from one table to the other, I am looking for the best “script only” solution.

Thanks

Lee

Answer 1

As you’ve found, subqueries weren’t allowed in the VALUES list prior to SQL 2008. However there is an easy workarond:

INSERT INTO ITEM_TABLE 
SELECT TOP (1) 
    ISNULL(MAX(PK_COLUMN),0) + 1, 
    'Data 1', 
    @HeadSeq
FROM
    ITEM_TABLE