All 7 Views questions
More in Views
What is a view in SQL Server, and what benefits does it provide? What is a schema bound view, and what specific benefit does the WITH SCHEMABINDING option provide? What is an indexed view, and how can it improve the performance of complex, frequently run queries? How do you use a view to help enforce a basic level of security by limiting which columns or rows different groups of users can see? How would you design a layered set of views to progressively simplify a complex data model for different types of users, such as analysts versus casual business users? What happens to the performance and correctness of a view if the underlying tables change significantly after the view was originally created?
Advertisement
Back to results for “Date”
SQL Server › Views

Can you insert, update, or delete data through a view, and what conditions must be met for this to work?

Beginner

Answer

You can modify data through a view as long as it references only a single underlying table and does not include certain features like GROUP BY, DISTINCT, or aggregate functions, since SQL Server needs to be able to clearly translate your change back to the correct row in the actual underlying table.
CREATE VIEW SimpleCustomerView AS
SELECT CustomerId, Name, Email FROM Customers;

UPDATE SimpleCustomerView SET Email = 'new@example.com' WHERE CustomerId = 123;
Real-world example A support application updates a customer's email address through a simple view rather than the underlying table directly, which works correctly since the view is based on a single table without any aggregation or complex logic.

Common follow-ups: What specific features in a view definition prevent it from being updatable?;Is it generally considered good practice to modify data through a view?

Data Types & Schema Design;Constraints (Primary Key Foreign Key Check & Unique)
All 7 Views questions