[lug] (OT) postgresql

[j davis]

>>  is there a postgresql select query i can enter to specify
>>the last row of a table...
>
>   select max(inv_num) from customers;
>
>to get the specific invoice number, or
>
>   select * from customers
>     where inv_num = (select max(inv_num) from customers);
>
>to get the full row.
>
>>i.e. i want to make a new invoice number based
>>on the inv_num field of the last customer entry into a table.
>
>so you do NOT want to generate a new invoice number from the existing 
>table.  If you do, you must somehow guarantee that you will never establish 
>more than a single connection to the database, and never more than one 
>query at any time, otherwise your code may reuse the same invoice number 
>because of concurrent access.
>
>What you really want to use is a "sequence" - it will guarantee uniqueness. 
>  IIRC, it's something like
>
>   create sequence inv_num;
>
>   select next_val(inv_num);
>
>You should also add 'unique' to the column constraints for your inv_num 
>field.  This will ensure that you never have two invoices with the same 
>number.
>
>Bear
>

thanks everyone for the help...my sql knowelege has improved 10 fold..
now if i could just focus on spelling....

Xconfigurator,
jd



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