Inserting multiple rows into SQL Server from Node.js - node.js

Question

I am working on a project that will upload some records to SQL Server from a node.js program. Right now, this is my approach (inside an async function):
con = await sql.connect(`mssql://${SQL.user}:${SQL.password}#${SQL.server}/${SQL.database}?encrypt=true`);
for (r of RECORDS) {
columns = `([column1], [column2], [column3])`;
values = `(#col1, #col2, #col3)`;
await con
.request()
.input("col1", sql.Int, r.col1)
.input("col2", sql.VarChar, r.col2)
.input("col3", sql.VarChar, r.col3)
.query(`INSERT INTO [dbo].[table1] ${columns} VALUES ${values}`);
}
Where records is an array of objects in the form:
RECORDS = [
{ col1: 1, col2: "asd", col3: "A" },
{ col1: 2, col2: "qwerty", col3: "B" },
// ...
];
This code works, nevertheless, I have the feeling that it is not efficient at all. I have an upload of around 4k records and it takes roughly 10 minutes, it does not look good.
I believe if I can create a single query - instead of wrapping single inserts inside a for loop - with all the record values it will be faster, and I know there is a syntax for reaching that in SQL:
INSERT INTO table1 (column1, column2, column3) VALUES (1, "asd", "A"), (2, "qwerty", "B"), (...);
However I cannot find any documentation from mssql module for node on how to prepare the parameterized inputs to do everything in a single transaction.
Can anyone guide me into the right direction?
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Also, very similar to the bulk insert, you can use a table valued parameter.
sql.connect("mssql://${SQL.user}:${SQL.password}#${SQL.server}/${SQL.database}?encrypt=true")
.then(() => {
const table = new sql.Table();
table.columns.add('col1', sql.Int);
table.columns.add('col2', sql.VarChar(20));
table.columns.add('col3', sql.VarChar(20));
// add data
table.rows.add(1, 'asd', 'A');
table.rows.add(2, 'qwerty', 'B');
const request = new sql.Request();
request.input('table1', table);
request.execute('procMyProcedure', function (err, recordsets, returnValue) {
console.dir(JSON.stringify(recordsets[0][0]));
res.end(JSON.stringify(recordsets[0][0]));
});
});
And then for the SQL side, create a user defined table type
CREATE TYPE typeMyType AS TABLE
(
Col1 int,
Col2 varchar(20),
Col3 varchar(20)
)
And then use this in the stored procedure
CREATE PROCEDURE procMyProcedure
#table1 typeMyType READONLY
AS
BEGIN
INSERT INTO table1 (Col1, Col2, Col3)
SELECT Col1, Col2, Col3
FROM #MyRecords
END
This gives you more control over the data and lets you do more with the data in sql before you actually insert.

Answer 2

As pointed out by #JoaquinAlvarez, bulk insert should be used as replied here: Bulk inserting with Node mssql package
For my case, the code was like:
return await sql.connect(`mssql://${SQL.user}:${SQL.password}#${SQL.server}/${SQL.database}?encrypt=true`).then(() => {
table = new sql.Table("table1");
table.create = true;
table.columns.add("column1", sql.Int, { nullable: false });
table.columns.add("column2", sql.VarChar, { length: Infinity, nullable: true });
table.columns.add("column3", sql.VarChar(250), { nullable: true });
// add here rows to insert into the table
for (r of RECORDS) {
table.rows.add(r.col1, r.col2, r.col3);
}
return new sql.Request().bulk(table);
});
The SQL data types have to match (obviously) the column type of the existing table table1. Note the case of column2, which is a column defined in SQL as varchar(max).
Thanks Joaquin! I went down on the time significantly from 10 minutes to a few seconds