Bulk update customers using SQL Server data

Bulk updates customers by reading data from an external SQL Server database. The source query must return the Id of the customer to update along with the fields to change (e.g. Email, Note).

Standard SQL query example

This is the base query accepted by the connector. To execute it in SQL Server, you have to pass it to the Data Gateway via a Linked Server. See how to accomplish this using the examples below.

UPDATE Customers
SOURCE('MSSQL'
 ,'Data Source=localhost;Initial Catalog=tempdb;Integrated Security=true'
 ,'select 111 as Id, ''a@a.com''Email , ''SOLD'' as Note,0 as [$$ContineOn404Error]
  UNION
  select 222 as Id, ''b@b.com''Email , ''SOLD'' as Note,0 as [$$ContineOn404Error]
  '
)

Using OPENQUERY in SQL Server

SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_SHOPIFY_IN_GATEWAY], 'UPDATE Customers
SOURCE(''MSSQL''
 ,''Data Source=localhost;Initial Catalog=tempdb;Integrated Security=true''
 ,''select 111 as Id, ''''a@a.com''''Email , ''''SOLD'''' as Note,0 as [$$ContineOn404Error]
  UNION
  select 222 as Id, ''''b@b.com''''Email , ''''SOLD'''' as Note,0 as [$$ContineOn404Error]
  ''
)')

Using EXEC in SQL Server (handling larger SQL text)

The major drawback of OPENQUERY is its inability to incorporate variables within SQL statements. This often leads to the use of cumbersome dynamic SQL (with numerous ticks and escape characters).

Fortunately, starting with SQL 2005 and onwards, you can utilize the EXEC (your_sql) AT [LS_TO_SHOPIFY_IN_GATEWAY] syntax.

DECLARE @MyQuery NVARCHAR(MAX) = 'UPDATE Customers
SOURCE(''MSSQL''
 ,''Data Source=localhost;Initial Catalog=tempdb;Integrated Security=true''
 ,''select 111 as Id, ''''a@a.com''''Email , ''''SOLD'''' as Note,0 as [$$ContineOn404Error]
  UNION
  select 222 as Id, ''''b@b.com''''Email , ''''SOLD'''' as Note,0 as [$$ContineOn404Error]
  ''
)'
EXEC (@MyQuery) AT [LS_TO_SHOPIFY_IN_GATEWAY]