spark-instrumented-optimizer/docs/sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-overwrite-table.md

---
layout: global
title: INSERT OVERWRITE
displayTitle: INSERT OVERWRITE
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---

### Description

The `INSERT OVERWRITE` statement overwrites the existing data in the table using the new values. The inserted rows can be specified by value expressions or result from a query.

### Syntax

```sql
INSERT OVERWRITE [ TABLE ] table_identifier [ partition_spec [ IF NOT EXISTS ] ]
    { VALUES ( { value | NULL } [ , ... ] ) [ , ( ... ) ] | query }
```

### Parameters

* **table_identifier**

    Specifies a table name, which may be optionally qualified with a database name.

    **Syntax:** `[ database_name. ] table_name`

* **partition_spec**

    An optional parameter that specifies a comma separated list of key and value pairs
    for partitions.

    **Syntax:** `PARTITION ( partition_col_name [ = partition_col_val ] [ , ... ] )`

* **VALUES ( { value `|` NULL } [ , ... ] ) [ , ( ... ) ]**

    Specifies the values to be inserted. Either an explicitly specified value or a NULL can be inserted.
    A comma must be used to separate each value in the clause. More than one set of values can be specified to insert multiple rows.

* **query**

    A query that produces the rows to be inserted. It can be in one of following formats:
    * a `SELECT` statement
    * a `TABLE` statement
    * a `FROM` statement

### Examples

#### Insert Using a VALUES Clause

```sql
-- Assuming the students table has already been created and populated.
SELECT * FROM students;
+-------------+-------------------------+----------+
|         name|                  address|student_id|
+-------------+-------------------------+----------+
|    Amy Smith|   123 Park Ave, San Jose|    111111|
|    Bob Brown| 456 Taylor St, Cupertino|    222222|
|Cathy Johnson|  789 Race Ave, Palo Alto|    333333|
|Dora Williams|134 Forest Ave, Melo Park|    444444|
|Fleur Laurent|    345 Copper St, London|    777777|
|Gordon Martin|     779 Lake Ave, Oxford|    888888|
|  Helen Davis|469 Mission St, San Diego|    999999|
|   Jason Wang|    908 Bird St, Saratoga|    121212|
+-------------+-------------------------+----------+

INSERT OVERWRITE students VALUES
    ('Ashua Hill', '456 Erica Ct, Cupertino', 111111),
    ('Brian Reed', '723 Kern Ave, Palo Alto', 222222);

SELECT * FROM students;
+----------+-----------------------+----------+
|      name|                address|student_id|
+----------+-----------------------+----------+
|Ashua Hill|456 Erica Ct, Cupertino|    111111|
|Brian Reed|723 Kern Ave, Palo Alto|    222222|
+----------+-----------------------+----------+
```

#### Insert Using a SELECT Statement

```sql
-- Assuming the persons table has already been created and populated.
SELECT * FROM persons;
+-------------+-------------------------+---------+
|         name|                  address|      ssn|
+-------------+-------------------------+---------+
|Dora Williams|134 Forest Ave, Melo Park|123456789|
+-------------+-------------------------+---------+
|  Eddie Davis|   245 Market St,Milpitas|345678901|
+-------------+-------------------------+---------+

INSERT OVERWRITE students PARTITION (student_id = 222222)
    SELECT name, address FROM persons WHERE name = "Dora Williams";

SELECT * FROM students;
+-------------+-------------------------+----------+
|         name|                  address|student_id|
+-------------+-------------------------+----------+
|   Ashua Hill|  456 Erica Ct, Cupertino|    111111|
+-------------+-------------------------+----------+
|Dora Williams|134 Forest Ave, Melo Park|    222222|
+-------------+-------------------------+----------+
```

#### Insert Using a TABLE Statement

```sql
-- Assuming the visiting_students table has already been created and populated.
SELECT * FROM visiting_students;
+-------------+---------------------+----------+
|         name|              address|student_id|
+-------------+---------------------+----------+
|Fleur Laurent|345 Copper St, London|    777777|
+-------------+---------------------+----------+
|Gordon Martin| 779 Lake Ave, Oxford|    888888|
+-------------+---------------------+----------+

INSERT OVERWRITE students TABLE visiting_students;

SELECT * FROM students;
+-------------+---------------------+----------+
|         name|              address|student_id|
+-------------+---------------------+----------+
|Fleur Laurent|345 Copper St, London|    777777|
+-------------+---------------------+----------+
|Gordon Martin| 779 Lake Ave, Oxford|    888888|
+-------------+---------------------+----------+
```

#### Insert Using a FROM Statement

```sql
-- Assuming the applicants table has already been created and populated.
SELECT * FROM applicants;
+-----------+--------------------------+----------+---------+
|       name|                   address|student_id|qualified|
+-----------+--------------------------+----------+---------+
|Helen Davis| 469 Mission St, San Diego|    999999|     true|
+-----------+--------------------------+----------+---------+
|   Ivy King|367 Leigh Ave, Santa Clara|    101010|    false|
+-----------+--------------------------+----------+---------+
| Jason Wang|     908 Bird St, Saratoga|    121212|     true|
+-----------+--------------------------+----------+---------+

INSERT OVERWRITE students
    FROM applicants SELECT name, address, id applicants WHERE qualified = true;

SELECT * FROM students;
+-----------+-------------------------+----------+
|       name|                  address|student_id|
+-----------+-------------------------+----------+
|Helen Davis|469 Mission St, San Diego|    999999|
+-----------+-------------------------+----------+
| Jason Wang|    908 Bird St, Saratoga|    121212|
+-----------+-------------------------+----------+
```

### Related Statements

* [INSERT INTO statement](sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-into.html)
* [INSERT OVERWRITE DIRECTORY statement](sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-overwrite-directory.html)
* [INSERT OVERWRITE DIRECTORY with Hive format statement](sql-ref-syntax-dml-insert-overwrite-directory-hive.html)