sql
SELECT * FROM users;Notes
Convenient for quick exploration, but explicit column lists are usually better in production queries.
MySQL SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Cheatsheet
practical MySQL CRUD queries including filtering, sorting, pagination basics, inserts, updates, deletes, truncation, and upsert patterns.
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basic selects
The most common retrieval patterns developers use every day.
sql
SELECT id, email, full_name FROM users;Notes
Reducing selected columns helps readability and can reduce network overhead.
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SELECT id, email FROM users WHERE is_active = 1;Notes
`WHERE` narrows the result set before ordering and limiting.
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SELECT id, email, created_at FROM users ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 20;Notes
A common pattern for feeds, admin lists, and dashboards.
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SELECT DISTINCT status FROM orders ORDER BY status;Notes
Useful for reporting, filters, and data exploration.
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SELECT id, email FROM users WHERE email LIKE '%@example.com';Notes
For large datasets, full-text or prefix-specific search patterns may be more efficient.
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SELECT id, created_at FROM orders WHERE created_at BETWEEN '2026-01-01' AND '2026-01-31 23:59:59';Notes
Use explicit endpoints to avoid off-by-one issues in reporting.
insert, update, and delete
Modify data safely with common write patterns.
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INSERT INTO users (email, full_name) VALUES ('ava@example.com', 'Ava Stone');Notes
Always listing target columns makes inserts safer during schema changes.
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INSERT INTO users (email, full_name) VALUES
('liam@example.com', 'Liam Cole'),
('mia@example.com', 'Mia Shaw');Notes
Batch inserts reduce round trips and are often much faster than many single-row statements.
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UPDATE users SET is_active = 0 WHERE email LIKE '%@old-domain.com';Notes
Always include a restrictive `WHERE` clause unless you intentionally want to update every row.
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DELETE FROM sessions WHERE expires_at < NOW();Notes
A classic cleanup task for expired sessions or temporary data.
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TRUNCATE TABLE staging_events;Notes
Faster than `DELETE` for clearing a whole table, but behaves differently with transactions and foreign keys.
Upsert with ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE
Insert a row or update it when a unique key already exists.
sqlANYupsertduplicate-key
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INSERT INTO users (email, full_name)
VALUES ('ava@example.com', 'Ava Stone')
ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE full_name = VALUES(full_name);Notes
A classic MySQL upsert pattern for unique-keyed rows.
Replace a row using REPLACE
Insert or delete-and-insert based on unique key conflicts.
sqlANYreplaceupsert
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REPLACE INTO feature_flags (flag_key, flag_value) VALUES ('beta_ui', 'on');Notes
`REPLACE` can have surprising semantics because it may delete the old row and insert a new one.
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