JDBC: best way to update a table?

Question

let's say that i get a resultset which was queryed using joins from an sql database. is it better to use an sql statement to update the tables or insert new tuples/rows? or should i use the resultSet.update() function? i just want to know the drawbacks associated with each as well as the preferred method of updating tables.

Answer 1

ResultSet will only be updatable if:

1. You've created your statement with appropriate flag (ResultSet.CONCUR_UPDATABLE)
2. The underlying database / driver supports updates over join results

If both conditions are true, updates are likely to be more efficient when done this way as you're already holding a cursor to the item. Otherwise you'll need to create a new statement - be sure to use a PreparedStatement for that.