SQL update speed.

[shawjames]

I have a script like this:

for ($x=0;$x<10;$x++){
$num = $numarray[$x];
mysql_query("update items set number1=$num where item=\"ABC$x\" ");
}

This seems to run very slow, and I am thinking of ways to speed this up. Would this be faster?:

$Q="";
for ($x=0;$x<10;$x++){
$num = $numarray[$x];
$Q .= "update items set number=$num where item=\"ABC$x\"; ";
}
mysql_query($Q);

Or any other ideas?

[bastien]

is the table indexed on the item field? how large is the table? have you run the explain plan?