What is the syntax for updating existing records in a table?

To update existing records in a table in SQL, you use the UPDATE statement. The UPDATE statement allows you to modify one or more columns of existing rows in a table based on specified conditions.

Here's the basic syntax for updating records in a table:

UPDATE table_name 
SET column1 = value1, column2 = value2, ... 
WHERE condition;

• UPDATE: Specifies that you want to update data in a specific table.
• table_name: The name of the table you want to update.
• SET column1 = value1, column2 = value2, ...: Specifies the columns you want to update and the new values you want to set for those columns.
• WHERE condition: Optional, but highly recommended. It specifies the condition that determines which rows will be updated. If you omit the WHERE clause, all rows in the table will be updated.

Here's an example of how to use the UPDATE statement to modify existing records in a table:

UPDATE employees
SET salary = 60000 
WHERE department = 'Sales';

In this example, the UPDATE statement modifies the "salary" column for employees in the "Sales" department to set their salary to $60,000.

You can also update multiple columns in a single UPDATE statement, and you can use different conditions to update specific rows. For example:

UPDATE employees 
SET salary = salary * 1.1, status = 'Senior' 
WHERE hire_date < '2022-01-01';

In this case, the statement updates employee salaries, increasing them by 10%, and sets their status to 'Senior' for employees hired before January 1, 2022.

It's important to be careful when using the UPDATE statement, especially without a WHERE clause, as it can potentially modify a large number of rows. Always double-check your conditions to ensure you're updating the right records. Additionally, consider making a backup of your data before performing mass updates to mitigate the risk of unintended data changes.