Thread: UPDATE with a SELECT and subSELECT(About comparing dates and non dates data)

Thanks Josh and Bret for your answers.
But I think I can try a slightly different thing. As I said,  I've got data, 
extracted from rain gauge stations. Perhaps I wasn't explicit enough. My 
source data are in this format:
cod_variable | cod_station | year | month | ten | rain_day1 | wind_day1 | 
rain_day2 | wind_day2 | rain_day3 | wind_day3 | rain_day4 | wind_day4 | 
rain_day5 | wind_day5 | rain_day6 | wind_day6 | rain_day7 | wind_day7 | 
rain_day8 | wind_day8 | rain_day9 | wind_day9 | rain_day10 | wind_day10 | 
rain_day11 | wind_day11 | ten_sum_rain

--------------+-------------+------+-------+-----+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+------30201
      | 7237        | 1953 |     1 |   1 |         0 |         0 |        0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |
 0 |         0 |              0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |         0 |              0 |
0|         0 |         0 |         0 |          0 |                |            |         0
 
and this is just a row (ten means that the data belong to the first, second 
or third of the weeks of the month). I've got five gauge stations and daily 
data for about forty years (73000 of these long rows). Missing data are 
non-existent rows; so, when a row doesn't appears I lost ten rain data (the 
rain of ten days).
But with the help of the wonderful people in this list I could extract rain 
series (excellent):
cod_station | year | month | day | rain
-------------+------+-------+-----+------7250        | 1933 |     8 |   1 |    07250        | 1933 |     8 |   2 |
07250       | 1933 |     8 |   3 |    0...
 

So, now, in the result of this query, a missing data translates into several 
non-existent row.

Now, I have prepared a table with a complete series of date field (everyday 
from 1553 to 2004), and made ALTER it to ADD aditional fields for every 
station I have:year | month | day | st7237 | st7238 | st7239 ...
------+-------+-----+---------+---------+---------+---------1953 |     1 |   1 |         |         |         |1953 |
1 |   2 |         |         |         |1953 |     1 |   3 |         |         |         |...
 

My problem is that I need to fill in the gaps (the available rain data in the 
corresponding stations), and this would be a very good output for me.
I've prepared an UPDATE but it doesn't work. Perhaps someone could tell me 
where is the error (I've not a very good knowledge of Postgresql). The UPDATE 
is based on the results of the query:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE  series_lluvia SET st7237=rain FROM

/* here begins the SELECT to obtain the series for one rain gauge station; 
and it works rightfrom here to the next comment */
SELECT cod_station, year, month, day, rain FROM (

SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 1 as day, rain_day1 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 2 as day, rain_day2 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 3 as day, rain_day3 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 4 as day, rain_day4 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 5 as day, rain_day5 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 6 as day, rain_day6 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 7 as day, rain_day7 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 8 as day, rain_day8 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 9 as day, rain_day9 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 10 as day, rain_day10 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 11 as day, rain_day1 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 12 as day, rain_day2 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 13 as day, rain_day3 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 14 as day, rain_day4 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 15 as day, rain_day5 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 16 as day, rain_day6 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 17 as day, rain_day7 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 18 as day, rain_day8 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 19 as day, rain_day9 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 20 as day, rain_day10 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=2
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 21 as day, rain_day1 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 22 as day, rain_day2 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 23 as day, rain_day3 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 24 as day, rain_day4 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 25 as day, rain_day5 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 26 as day, rain_day6 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 27 as day, rain_day7 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 28 as day, rain_day8 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 29 as day, rain_day9 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3 AND rain_day9 IS NOT NULL
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 30 as day, rain_day10 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3 AND rain_day10 IS NOT NULL
UNION ALL
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 31 as day, rain_day11 as rain 
FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3 AND rain_day11 IS NOT NULL
ORDER BY cod_station, year, month, day) AS temp WHERE cod_station=7238

/* the SELECT has finished here */
WHERE series_lluvia.year=temp.year AND series_lluvia.month=temp.month AND 
series_lluvia.day=temp.day;
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please can you tell me if the syntax of this UPDATE is correct? (Can I use 
the results of a SELECT to UPDATE a table?)

Thanks for your help. I know this is too long.

Regards,

Javier

> My problem is that I need to fill in the gaps (the available rain data
in the
> corresponding stations), and this would be a very good output for me.
> I've prepared an UPDATE but it doesn't work. Perhaps someone could
tell me
> where is the error (I've not a very good knowledge of Postgresql). The
UPDATE
> is based on the results of the query:
>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

> UPDATE  series_lluvia SET st7237=rain FROM
>
> /* here begins the SELECT to obtain the series for one rain gauge
station;
> and it works right
>  from here to the next comment */
> SELECT cod_station, year, month, day, rain FROM (
>
> SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 1 as day, rain_day1 as
rain
> FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
> UNION ALL
> ...
> SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 31 as day, rain_day11
as rain
> FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3 AND rain_day11 IS NOT NULL
> ORDER BY cod_station, year, month, day) AS temp WHERE cod_station=7238

>
> /* the SELECT has finished here */
> WHERE series_lluvia.year=temp.year AND series_lluvia.month=temp.month
AND
> series_lluvia.day=temp.day;
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Please can you tell me if the syntax of this UPDATE is correct? (Can I
use
> the results of a SELECT to UPDATE a table?)
>
Javier,
I've seen something similar on the list in January this year.
Maybe it works. Try

UPDATE  series_lluvia SET st7237=(SELECT rain FROM (
SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 1 as day, rain_day1 as
rainFROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1UNION ALL...SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 31 as day, rain_day11 as
rainFROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3 AND rain_day11 IS NOT NULLORDER BY cod_station, year, month, day) AS temp WHERE
cod_station=7238)WHEREseries_lluvia.year=temp.year AND series_lluvia.month=temp.month
 
ANDseries_lluvia.day=temp.day;

Regards, Christoph

Thanks Christoph;

Typing what you told me there was an errror; I' ve changed it slightly an it 
seems that this sintax is correct. I say "it seems" because the computer 
begins to process the query but doesn't finish it. I've leaved it working for 
more than half an hour, before cancel it, with no result.

Thank you anyway. This is what I think is a good sintax for UPDATE - SELECT - 
SUBSELECT. Perhaps in mor simple cases it works. May someone is interested in 
it.

----------
Javier

--------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE  series_lluvia SET st7237=(SELECT rain FROM (SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 1 as day, rain_day1
asrainFROMpluviometria WHERE ten=1 UNION ALL...SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 31 as day, rain_day11
asrainFROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3 AND rain_day11 IS NOT NULL 
 
ORDER BY cod_station, year, month, day) AS temp WHERE cod_station=7237) AS 
temp2  WHERE series_lluvia.year=temp2.year AND 
series_lluvia.month=temp2.month AND  series_lluvia.day=temp2.day);
------------------------------------------------------

>
> Typing what you told me there was an errror; I' ve changed it slightly
an it
> seems that this sintax is correct. I say "it seems" because the
computer
> begins to process the query but doesn't finish it. I've leaved it
working for
> more than half an hour, before cancel it, with no result.
>
> Thank you anyway. This is what I think is a good sintax for UPDATE -
SELECT -
> SUBSELECT. Perhaps in mor simple cases it works. May someone is
interested in
> it.
>
> ----------
> Javier
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> UPDATE  series_lluvia SET st7237=(
>  SELECT rain FROM (
>  SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 1 as day, rain_day1 as

>  rain
>  FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=1
>   UNION ALL
>  ...
>  SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 31 as day, rain_day11
as
>  rain
>   FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3 AND rain_day11 IS NOT NULL
> ORDER BY cod_station, year, month, day) AS temp WHERE
cod_station=7237) AS
> temp2  WHERE series_lluvia.year=temp2.year AND
> series_lluvia.month=temp2.month AND  series_lluvia.day=temp2.day);
> ------------------------------------------------------
>

Javier,

I've seen several queries which seemed to run for ages before.
In many cases it helped to generate temporary tables and / or
split up into "smaller" commands.

Have you tried it by removing the union clauses as
UPDATE  series_lluvia SET st7237=( SELECT rain FROM ( SELECT cod_variable, cod_station, year, month, 31 as day,
rain_day11
as rain  FROM pluviometria WHERE ten=3 AND rain_day11 IS NOT NULLORDER BY cod_station, year, month, day) AS temp WHERE
cod_station=7237)
AStemp2  WHERE series_lluvia.year=temp2.year ANDseries_lluvia.month=temp2.month AND  series_lluvia.day=temp2.day);

If this runs in an acceptable time, split up into several UPDATEs.
If not, think of using temporary tables for SELECT - SUBSELECT.
It's probably useful to do this in a transaction block started by BEGIN;

so you can ROLLBACK; if the result is wrong.

Regards, Christoph