Q: SQL Syntax error for update query I encountered this error.

com.mysql.jdbc.exceptions.jdbc4.MySQLSyntaxErrorException: You have an
  error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your
  MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'like = '1',
  dislike='0', mealID= '17' WHERE mealID ='17'' at line 1   at
  sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
    at
  sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:62)
  Connection is closed  at
  sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:45)
    at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:408)
    at com.mysql.jdbc.Util.handleNewInstance(Util.java:411)     at
  com.mysql.jdbc.Util.getInstance(Util.java:386)    at
  com.mysql.jdbc.SQLError.createSQLException(SQLError.java:1054)    at
  com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.checkErrorPacket(MysqlIO.java:4120)    at
  com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.checkErrorPacket(MysqlIO.java:4052)    at
  com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.sendCommand(MysqlIO.java:2503)     at
  com.mysql.jdbc.MysqlIO.sqlQueryDirect(MysqlIO.java:2664)  at
  com.mysql.jdbc.ConnectionImpl.execSQL(ConnectionImpl.java:2809)   at
  com.mysql.jdbc.StatementImpl.executeUpdate(StatementImpl.java:1811)
    at
  com.mysql.jdbc.StatementImpl.executeUpdate(StatementImpl.java:1725)
    at OOADPJdb.database.DBController.updateRequest(DBController.java:73)
    at projPackage.Menu.updateLike(Menu.java:409)   at
  projPackage.RetrieveMenuUI.likeBtnActionPerformed(RetrieveMenuUI.java:433)
    at projPackage.RetrieveMenuUI.access$500(RetrieveMenuUI.java:21)    at
  projPackage.RetrieveMenuUI$6.actionPerformed(RetrieveMenuUI.java:276)
    at
  javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2022)
    at
  javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2346)
    at
  javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(DefaultButtonModel.java:402)
    at
  javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(DefaultButtonModel.java:259)
    at
  javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseReleased(BasicButtonListener.java:252)
    at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:6527)    at
  javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3321)    at
  java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6292)  at
  java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2234)  at
  java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4883)     at
  java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2292)     at
  java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4705)     at
  java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4898)
    at
  java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4533)
    at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4462)
    at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2278)    at
  java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2739)   at
  java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4705)     at
  java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:746)    at
  java.awt.EventQueue.access$400(EventQueue.java:97)    at
  java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:697)    at
  java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:691)    at
  java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)    at
  java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:75)
    at
  java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:86)
    at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:719)   at
  java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:717)    at
  java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)    at
  java.security.ProtectionDomain$1.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:75)
    at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:716)   at
  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:201)
    at
  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:116)
    at
  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:105)
    at
  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
    at
  java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:93)
    at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:82)

this is my SQL statement

dbQuery = "UPDATE menu SET like = '" + this.like + "', dislike='" +
  this.dislike + "', mealID= '" + this.mealID + "'";  
dbQuery = dbQuery + " WHERE mealID ='" + this.mealID + "'";

Quite sure this is right but it doesn't work.

A: It seems to me the problem is using a reserved keyword LIKE for a column name, which is always a bad idea.
