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 -- MySQL General Mailing List For list archives: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql To unsubscribe: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql?unsub=arch...@jab.org