How Two JOINS from one table

[ree]

I got this problem where I need to look up values in two columns from
another table.

I can get OUTER LEFT JOIN working when looking up one column from a table
but when looking up at two columns from a table I can't get the SQL syntax
correct.

The scenario is
A table has definitions for abbreviation of initials. From my search query
there are two columns of initials, I am having problems in writing an SQL
statement to look up and replace both columns of initials with their
correct definitions. I was using an OUTER LEFT JOIN statement
I am sorry if this isnt the correct Newsgroup to post this.

[Simon Hayes]

ree <re*@hotmail.coom> wrote in message news:<Xn****************************@211.29.133.50 >...

I got this problem where I need to look up values in two columns from
another table.

I can get OUTER LEFT JOIN working when looking up one column from a table
but when looking up at two columns from a table I can't get the SQL syntax
correct.

The scenario is
A table has definitions for abbreviation of initials. From my search query
there are two columns of initials, I am having problems in writing an SQL
statement to look up and replace both columns of initials with their
correct definitions. I was using an OUTER LEFT JOIN statement
I am sorry if this isnt the correct Newsgroup to post this.

Without DDL, sample data and expected results this is a complete guess
(using MSSQL syntax):

update
dbo.MyTable
set
col1 = isnull(a.Definition,col1),
col2 = isnull(b.Definition,col2)
from
dbo.MyTable t
left outer join dbo.Abbreviations a
on t.col1 = a.Abbreviation
left outer join dbo.Abbreviations b
on t.col2 = b.Abbreviation

Simon