Hello,
I am importing CSV data from a proprietary database into a table in MySQL. Due to a flaw
in the proprietary software's export tool, currency values (floats) are always exported
with a '$' prefixed to them. This causes a problem where the matching float field in the
MySQL table being set to zero (or not set at all) after import.
As a solution to getting a complete import, I modified the data type of the field in MySQL
from float to varchar(8), so now the data is present in the table.
I am faced with the problem of removing the '$' from the string.
I can filter out the '$' by doing a string manipulation,
SELECT MID((SELECT `imported_data`.`PartPrice` FROM `imported_data` WHERE
`imported_data`.`PartNumber`='1') FROM 2);
I can change the value of a record from $100 to 100 by hand.
UPDATE `imported_data` SET `imported_data`.`PartPrice`='100' WHERE
`imported_data`.`ParttNumber`='49152';
And thus tried,
UPDATE `imported_data` SET `imported_data`.`PartPrice`=(SELECT MID((SELECT
`imported_data`.`PartPrice` FROM `imported_data` WHERE
`imported_data`.`PartNumber`='49152') FROM 2);) WHERE
`imported_data`.`PartNumber`='49152';
It was a nice try, but found out from MySQL that "You can't specify target table
'imported_data' for update in FROM clause" and discovered that it really looks like that
I cannot write data to a table while a nested query is reading the same location.
I could create a new field and insert into that instead of updating.
But, regardless of the approach, I would still have to execute this statement some 8,000
times. Once for each part number I have. Putting something like this in a for-loop
almost feels like I am avoiding a feature of convenience that I am not aware of.
There really must be an easier way. Can anybody help me with a more elegant solution?
(BTW, I have been explicitly forbidden from doing a search and replace on '$' with the
CSV file that got exported)
Thank you for assisting me and your support of a fine database software package!
Timothy Legg
