Thread: primary key generation

Does postgres have any built-in methods for auto-generating unique integer
primary keys or is managing this task the responsibility of the user?

Thanks in advance...

Hi

You need to create a sequence and set the default value of the primary
key on the next value in the sequence.

An easy way to do this is to define the primary key integer field as
type SERIAL ( instead of integer) at time of table creation.
Postgres will automaticly create the sequence it needs, and set the
default value of the key to the proper value.

HTH,
Wieger

On Mon, 2001-12-10 at 22:58, Ned Matson wrote:
> Does postgres have any built-in methods for auto-generating unique integer
> primary keys or is managing this task the responsibility of the user?
>
> Thanks in advance...
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 4: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster
>

"Ned Matson" <ned@go.com> writes:

> Does postgres have any built-in methods for auto-generating unique integer
> primary keys or is managing this task the responsibility of the user?

Sure, read up on the SERIAL column type.

-Doug
--
Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.
   --T. J. Jackson, 1863

Here is an example:

CREATE SEQUENCE format_id_count;
CREATE TABLE format (
    FOREIGN KEY(vehicle_id) REFERENCES vehicle(vehicle_id),

    format_id                       INTEGER     PRIMARY KEY
                                                DEFAULT
NEXTVAL('format_id_count
'),
    vehicle_id                      INTEGER,

    format_type                     VARCHAR(11),
    description                     VARCHAR(31),
.......

--- Ned Matson <ned@go.com> wrote:
> Does postgres have any built-in methods for auto-generating unique
> integer
> primary keys or is managing this task the responsibility of the user?
>
> Thanks in advance...
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------(end of
> broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 4: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster


=====
Chris Albertson
  Home:   310-376-1029  chrisalbertson90278@yahoo.com
  Cell:   310-990-7550
  Office: 310-336-5189  Christopher.J.Albertson@aero.org

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