Re: QUESTION: Automatically generating Primary keys !!! - Mailing list pgsql-general

From Richard Huxton
Subject Re: QUESTION: Automatically generating Primary keys !!!
Date
Msg-id 3B1F1ED1.BD209EB@archonet.com
Whole thread Raw
In response to QUESTION: Automatically generating Primary keys !!!  ("Tom Janssens" <tom-janssens@freegates.be>)
List pgsql-general
Tom Janssens wrote:

> My problem is that I should be able to let the Database System (Postgresql)
> generate its own primairy keys (from the rest of the data).

> workplace_ID, name, street, nr, zipcode, city, country
>
> workplace_ID is the primairy key of that table. Some other tables have a
> foreign key refering to it. As a primairy key this ID is of course unique.
> My Question is: How can I see which values (of the primairy key) are already
> taken, and which is available for new data.

Other than with SELECT?

If it's not too late, I'd make workplace_ID into a serial and let
PostgreSQL generate the values for you.

If it is too late, and workplace_id is text you could try appending
nextval(some_seq) to the end of it - that would guarantee uniqueness.

- Richardh

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