[vox-tech] mysql question: changing a record

[vox-tech@lists.lugod.org]

On Sat, Apr 10, 2004 at 03:18:47PM -0700, Peter Jay Salzman wrote:
> hi all,
> 
> i have a mysql database called slash.

Didn't know you were into fanfic. I guess it's good to keep your collection in
a db.

> in slash, there's a table named vars.
> in vars, there's a field named ispell:
> 
>    mysql> select name, value from vars
>        -> WHERE name = 'ispell';
>    +--------+--------+
>    | name   | value  |
>    +--------+--------+
>    | ispell | ispell |
>    +--------+--------+
> 
> how do i change this value?  after some reading, i thought the answer
> would be:
> 
>    mysql> UPDATE vars
>        -> SET ispell = 'foobar';
> 
> but that generates an error:
> 
>    ERROR 1054: Unknown column 'ispell' in 'field list'
> 
> i don't understand the error message.  how is ispell an unknown field?

'ispell' is the value of a column. the column names are 'name' and 'value'.

What you want is

	mysql> UPDATE vars
		-> SET name = 'Kirk';

	or

	mysql> UPDATE var
		-> SET value = 'Spock';


	or, perhaps

	mysql> UPDATE var
		-> SET name = 'A day at the beach'
		-> WHERE name = 'ispell';

hope this helps, 
-Gabe