OT: MySQL mass updates

[William O'Higgins Witteman]

I have a database that needs updating, and I just wanted to see if
anyone has done something like this before.

Here's the problem - I have a constant string in one column that needs
to be updated to a different string, for all record.

In pseudocode, what I want to do is this:
  foreach row in table
    in column A, swap "something" with "somethingelse" leaving the rest
    of the column's content alone

I think that this could be done with a single, fairly simple command,
but I'd hate to screw up the whole database by getting it wrong.

Anyone have any suggestions?  Thanks.
-- 

yours,

William

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