Hey there! Let's break down why you're hitting that syntax error with your bulk INSERT statement, and how to fix it.

First, let's clear up the confusion about multi-row INSERT syntax: most modern databases (like MySQL 4.1+, PostgreSQL 8.2+, SQLite 3.7.11+) do support the VALUES (row1), (row2), ... (rowN) format you're using. That old ten-year-old result was probably referring to very outdated database versions, so your CSV-to-SQL tool's output is likely correct in theory—you just need to spot the tiny issue causing the error.

Here are the most common culprits and how to debug them:

• Extra comma after the last row
  This is the #1 cause of this exact error. If your generated SQL ends with ('Row', 'n', 'data'), (note the trailing comma before the semicolon), that's invalid syntax. Databases expect no comma after the final VALUES group.
  Example of the mistake:

  INSERT INTO `table` (`lots`, `of`, `keys`) 
  VALUES ('Row', '1', 'data'), 
  ('Row', '2', 'data'), -- Trailing comma here is bad!
  ;
  

  Fix it by removing that last comma:

  INSERT INTO `table` (`lots`, `of`, `keys`) 
  VALUES ('Row', '1', 'data'), 
  ('Row', '2', 'data') -- No comma here
  ;
  

• Unescaped single quotes in your data
  If any of your data values contain single quotes (like O'Neil or Don't forget), they'll break the syntax unless escaped. Most CSV-to-SQL tools handle this, but sometimes they miss cases. Make sure every single quote in your values is replaced with two single quotes (e.g., O''Neil instead of O'Neil).

• Mismatched column count
  Double-check that every VALUES group has exactly the same number of values as the columns listed in INSERT INTO. If one row is missing a value (or has an extra one), it'll throw a syntax error (often pointing to the line where the mismatch happens).

• Statement length limit exceeded
  If you're inserting hundreds/thousands of rows in one statement, you might hit your database's maximum allowed statement size (like MySQL's max_allowed_packet setting). The error message might say "syntax error" even though the syntax is correct, because the database can't parse the oversized statement. Try splitting your insert into smaller batches (e.g., 100 rows per statement) to test this.

• Outdated database version
  If you're stuck on a super old database (like MySQL pre-4.1), multi-row INSERT isn't supported. In that case, you'll need to use separate INSERT statements for each row, or use a bulk load tool (like LOAD DATA INFILE for MySQL) instead.

Quick Debugging Steps #

1. Test with a tiny version of your statement: take the first 2-3 rows, remove the rest, and run it. If this works, the issue is either the trailing comma or statement length.
2. Use your database client's syntax highlighting: tools like DBeaver, Navicat, or even the MySQL command line will often highlight invalid syntax (like a trailing comma) so you can spot it easily.
3. Check the exact line number in the error: the error says "line n+1"—look at that line! It's almost always where the syntax break happens (e.g., the trailing comma on line n+1).

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者user3517167