How to insert values from another table in PostgreSQL?

Question

I have a table which references other tables:

CREATE TABLE scratch
(
  id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  name TEXT NOT NULL,
  rep_id INT NOT NULL REFERENCES reps,
  term_id INT REFERENCES terms
);
CREATE TABLE reps (
  id    SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  rep   TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE
);
CREATE TABLE terms (
  id    SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  terms TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE
);

I wish to add a new record to scratch given the name, the rep and the terms values, i.e. I have neither corresponding rep_id nor term_id.

Right now the only idea that I have is:

insert into scratch (name, rep_id, term_id)
             values ('aaa', (select id from reps where rep='Dracula' limit 1), (select id from terms where terms='prepaid' limit 1));

My problem is this. I am trying to use the parameterized query API (from node using the node-postgres package), where an insert query looks like this:

insert into scratch (name, rep_id, term_id) values ($1, $2, $3);

and then an array of values for $1, $2 and $3 is passed as a separate argument. At the end, when I am comfortable with the parameterized queries the idea is to promote them to prepared statements to utilize the most efficient and safest way to query the database.

However, I am puzzled how can I do this with my example, where different tables have to be subqueried.

P.S. I am using PostgreSQL 9.2 and have no problem with a PostgreSQL specific solution.

EDIT 1

C:\Users\markk>psql -U postgres
psql (9.2.4)
WARNING: Console code page (437) differs from Windows code page (1252)
         8-bit characters might not work correctly. See psql reference
         page "Notes for Windows users" for details.
Type "help" for help.

postgres=# \c dummy
WARNING: Console code page (437) differs from Windows code page (1252)
         8-bit characters might not work correctly. See psql reference
         page "Notes for Windows users" for details.
You are now connected to database "dummy" as user "postgres".
dummy=# DROP TABLE scratch;
DROP TABLE
dummy=# CREATE TABLE scratch
dummy-# (
dummy(#   id SERIAL NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
dummy(#   name text NOT NULL UNIQUE,
dummy(#   rep_id integer NOT NULL,
dummy(#   term_id integer
dummy(# );
NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE will create implicit sequence "scratch_id_seq" for serial column "scratch.id"
NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE / PRIMARY KEY will create implicit index "scratch_pkey" for table "scratch"
NOTICE:  CREATE TABLE / UNIQUE will create implicit index "scratch_name_key" for table "scratch"
CREATE TABLE
dummy=# DEALLOCATE insert_scratch;
ERROR:  prepared statement "insert_scratch" does not exist
dummy=# PREPARE insert_scratch (text, text, text) AS
dummy-# INSERT INTO scratch (name, rep_id, term_id)
dummy-# SELECT $1, r.id, t.id
dummy-# FROM reps r, terms t
dummy-# WHERE r.rep = $2 AND t.terms = $3
dummy-# RETURNING id, name, $2 rep, $3 terms;
PREPARE
dummy=# DEALLOCATE insert_scratch2;
ERROR:  prepared statement "insert_scratch2" does not exist
dummy=# PREPARE insert_scratch2 (text, text, text) AS
dummy-# INSERT INTO scratch (name, rep_id, term_id)
dummy-#              VALUES ($1, (SELECT id FROM reps WHERE rep=$2 LIMIT 1), (SELECT id FROM terms WHERE terms=$3 LIMIT 1))
dummy-# RETURNING id, name, $2 rep, $3 terms;
PREPARE
dummy=# EXECUTE insert_scratch ('abc', 'Snowhite', '');
 id | name | rep | terms
----+------+-----+-------
(0 rows)


INSERT 0 0
dummy=# EXECUTE insert_scratch2 ('abc', 'Snowhite', '');
 id | name |   rep    | terms
----+------+----------+-------
  1 | abc  | Snowhite |
(1 row)


INSERT 0 1
dummy=# EXECUTE insert_scratch ('abcd', 'Snowhite', '30 days');
 id | name |   rep    |  terms
----+------+----------+---------
  2 | abcd | Snowhite | 30 days
(1 row)


INSERT 0 1
dummy=# EXECUTE insert_scratch2 ('abcd2', 'Snowhite', '30 days');
 id | name  |   rep    |  terms
----+-------+----------+---------
  3 | abcd2 | Snowhite | 30 days
(1 row)


INSERT 0 1
dummy=#

EDIT 2

We can utilize the fact that rep_id is required, even though terms_id is optional and use the following version of INSERT-SELECT:

PREPARE insert_scratch (text, text, text) AS
INSERT INTO scratch (name, rep_id, term_id)
SELECT $1, r.id, t.id
FROM reps r
LEFT JOIN terms t ON t.terms = $3
WHERE r.rep = $2
RETURNING id, name, $2 rep, $3 terms;

This version, however, has two problems:

1. No distinction is made between a missing terms value (i.e. '') and an invalid terms value (i.e. a non empty value missing from the terms table entirely). Both are treated as missing terms. (But the INSERT with two subqueries suffers from the same problem)
2. The version depends on the fact that the rep is required. But what if rep_id was optional too?

EDIT 3

Found the solution for the item 2 - eliminating dependency on rep being required. Plus using the WHERE statement has the problem that the sql does not fail if the rep is invalid - it just inserts 0 rows, whereas I want to fail explicitly in this case. My solution is simply using a dummy one row CTE:

PREPARE insert_scratch (text, text, text) AS
WITH stub(x) AS (VALUES (0))
INSERT INTO scratch (name, rep_id, term_id)
SELECT $1, r.id, t.id
FROM stub
LEFT JOIN terms t ON t.terms = $3
LEFT JOIN reps r ON r.rep = $2
RETURNING id, name, rep_id, term_id;

If rep is missing or invalid, this sql will try to insert NULL into the rep_id field and since the field is NOT NULL an error would be raised - precisely what I need. And if further I decide to make rep optional - no problem, the same SQL works for that too.

Answer 1

INSERT into scratch (name, rep_id, term_id)
SELECT 'aaa'
        , r.id 
        , t.id
FROM reps r , terms t -- essentially a cross join
WHERE r.rep = 'Dracula'
  AND t.terms = 'prepaid'
        ;

Notes:

• You don't need the ugly LIMITs, since r.rep and t.terms are unique (candidate keys)
• you could replace the FROM a, b by a FROM a CROSS JOIN b
• the scratch table will probably need an UNIQUE constraint on (rep_id, term_it) (the nullability of term_id is questionable)

UPDATE: the same as prepared query as found in the Documentation

PREPARE hoppa (text, text,text) AS
        INSERT into scratch (name, rep_id, term_id)
        SELECT $1 , r.id , t.id
        FROM reps r , terms t -- essentially a cross join
        WHERE r.rep = $2
        AND t.terms = $3
        ;
EXECUTE hoppa ('bbb', 'Dracula' , 'prepaid' );

SELECT * FROM scratch;

UPDATE2: test data

DROP SCHEMA tmp CASCADE;
CREATE SCHEMA tmp ;
SET search_path=tmp;

CREATE TABLE reps ( id    SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, rep   TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE);
CREATE TABLE terms ( id    SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, terms TEXT NOT NULL UNIQUE);
CREATE TABLE scratch ( id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT NOT NULL, rep_id INT NOT NULL REFERENCES reps, term_id INT REFERENCES terms);

INSERT INTO  reps(rep) VALUES( 'Dracula' );
INSERT INTO  terms(terms) VALUES( 'prepaid' );

Results:

NOTICE:  drop cascades to 3 other objects
DETAIL:  drop cascades to table tmp.reps
drop cascades to table tmp.terms
drop cascades to table tmp.scratch
DROP SCHEMA
CREATE SCHEMA
SET
CREATE TABLE
CREATE TABLE
CREATE TABLE
INSERT 0 1
INSERT 0 1
INSERT 0 1
PREPARE
INSERT 0 1
 id | name | rep_id | term_id 
----+------+--------+---------
  1 | aaa  |      1 |       1
  2 | bbb  |      1 |       1
(2 rows)