MySQL error - "You have an error in your SQL syntax"

Question

The error message I got:

You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ''word','group','selfnote') VALUES ('item','a','note to self')' at line 1

The PHP code is:

$toq="INSERT INTO articles ('word','group','selfnote') 
VALUES ('$ttle','$wrdr','$snote')";

I was trying to find solutins, but they didn't seem to work as echoing gives:

INSERT INTO articles ('word','group','selfnote') 
VALUES ('item','a','note to self')

which seems nice to me. What is the problem?

Obligatory note: mysql_real_escape_string() your data, else Bad Things will happen, e.g. when $snote == "It's simple". — Piskvor left the building
– Piskvor left the building, Commented Jan 29, 2012 at 19:19

juergen d · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-17 06:49:38Z

8

Use backticks ` instead of quotes ' to escape names. Quotes are string delimiters.

$toq="INSERT INTO articles (`word`,`group`, `selfnote`) VALUES ('$ttle','$wrdr','$snote')";

edited Jan 17, 2015 at 6:49

answered Jan 29, 2012 at 19:05

juergen d

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Marc B · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-29 19:05:40Z

8

You've put quotes on your field names. That forces MySQL to treat them as strings, not field names - and you can't insert into strings.

INSERT INTO articles (word, group, selfnote) VALUES (....);

is the correct syntax. The only quoting type allowed on field names is the use of backticks to escape reserved word fields, e.g.

INSERT INTO articles (table, int, varchar)  ...

would fail due to the use of 3 reserved words, but adding backticks

INSERT INTO articles (`table`, `int`, `varchar`)  ...

makes them acceptable as fieldnames.

answered Jan 29, 2012 at 19:05

Marc B

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1 Comment

Neil Over a year ago

Presumably he was trying to avoid the bare keyword group. (I don't know whether it's acceptable in this particular context or not.)

Madara's Ghost · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-29 19:15:04Z

4

You shouldn't quote column names with normal quotes (''), rather, use backticks (``).

edited Jan 29, 2012 at 19:15

answered Jan 29, 2012 at 19:06

Madara's Ghost

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1 Comment

Piskvor left the building Over a year ago

@slapthelownote: The MySQL manual seems to think so; I can't think of any more authoritative resource: "The identifier quote character is the backtick (“`”)". dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/identifiers.html

Bruno Silva · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-29 19:07:57Z

2

You must remove or replace the quotes of the column names by backticks (`). Since "group" is a keyword, you have to use backticks:

INSERT INTO articles (`word`, `group`, `selfnote`) VALUES (....);

answered Jan 29, 2012 at 19:07

Bruno Silva

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