SQL Select Into Statement Explained with Examples

What does the SQL Select Into statement do?

The  SELECT INTO  statement is a query that allows you to create a  new  table and populate it with the result set of a  SELECT statement.

To add data to an existing table, see the INSERT INTO statement instead.

SELECT INTO  can be used when you are combining data from several tables or views into a new table.1 The original table is not affected.

The general syntax is:

SELECT column-names
  INTO new-table-name
  FROM table-name
 WHERE EXISTS 
      (SELECT column-name
         FROM table-name
        WHERE condition)

This example shows a set of a table that was “copied” from the “Supplier” table to a new one called SupplierUSA which holds the set related to the column country of value ‘USA’.

SELECT * INTO SupplierUSA
  FROM Supplier
 WHERE Country = 'USA';

Results : 4 rows affected 2

Please see the manual for your database manager and have fun trying different options yourself.

Further reading:

1. (Microsoft - Inserting Rows by Using SELECT INTO)[https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190750(v=sql.105).aspx]
2. (dofactory - SQL SELECT INTO Statement)[http://www.dofactory.com/sql/select-into]