update

update

Defines the query type as a UPDATE statement. This method can be used to specify column names for a later values() call, or it can accept an associative array to define both columns and values at once.

📌 Execution Required: This method only constructs the SQL statement. You must terminate the method chain with ->execute() to actually run the query against the database or ->preview() to view the sql code.

Usage

update(string ...$args): static
update(array $args): static

Parameters

args (array|string) : This parameter accepts three different formats:

• Variable List of Strings: Each string represents a column name.
• Indexed Array: An array of strings representing column names.
• Associative Array: An array where keys are column names and values are the data to be inserted. When using this format, the values() method is NOT required.

Dynamic Value Tags

When passing values, you can use string tags (ex. [datetime]) to automatically inject dynamic system values. The class will parse these tags before executing the query.

| Tag | Keyword | Output Type | Description | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [date] | date | string | Current date formatted as Y-m-d. | | [datetime] | datetime | string | Current date and time formatted as Y-m-d H:i:s. | | [time] | time | string | Current time formatted as H:i:s. | | [timestamp] | timestamp | integer | Current Unix timestamp. |

Return Value

(static) : Returns the current instance to allow for method chaining.

NOTE: This method does not execute the query immediately. You must chain the execute() method at the end of your chain to run the query against the database.

Upon successful execution, the execute() method returns the int representing the number of affected rows.

Method Chaining

Before calling execute(), you can chain the following modifiers to customize your results:

• between(...) [?]: Filters data within an inclusive range.
• in(...) [?]: Filters data that matches any value in a specified list.
  • notIn(...) [?]: Filters data that excludes everything in a specified list
• like(...) [?]: Filters data by matching a specific text pattern using wildcards.
• limit(...) [?]: Limit number of affected rows.
• offset(...) [?]: Limit offset.
• order(...) [?]: Defines the sort order.
  • orderByValue(...) [?]: Prioritizes rows by value.
  • asc(...) [?]: Sort in ascending order.
  • desc(...) [?]: Sort in descending order.
• where(...) [?]: Filters query results by applying specific conditions to rows.
  • andWhere(...) [?]: Ensures both or multiple conditions must be true to include a row. Supports nested groups.
  • orWhere(...) [?]: Ensures at least one condition must be true to include a row. Supports nested groups.

Examples

1. Standard Usage (Separate Keys and Values)

   Use this if you prefer to keep your column list and data separate.

$db->update('item', 'qty')->values('cars', 10)->where('user', 'name')->execute();
// Result: UPDATE `table` SET `item` = 'cars', `qty` = 10 WHERE 'user' = 'name'

$db->update('item', 'qty', 'modified')->values('cars', 10, '[datetime]')->where('user', 'name')->execute();
// Result: UPDATE `table` SET `item` = 'cars', `qty` = 10, `modified` = 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS' WHERE 'user' = 'name' <- (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS = current date and time)

2. Associative Usage (Shorthand)

   Use this to define the entire payload in one go. The values() method is skipped entirely.

$db->update(['item' => 'cars', 'qty' => 20])->where('user', 'name')->execute();
// Result: UPDATE `table` SET `item` = 'cars', `qty` = 20 WHERE 'user' = 'name'

$db->update(['item' => 'cars', 'qty' => 20, 'modified' => '[datetime]'])->where('user', 'name')->execute();
// Result: UPDATE `table` SET `item` = 'cars', `qty` = 20, `modified` = 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS' WHERE 'user' = 'name' <- (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS = current date and time)

Debug Errors

• Throws an exception if the where clause is omitted.

Related Methods

delete | insert | replace | select | show

---

Home | CoreyDB | Operations