RE: Probably Trivial: Finding Largest Primary Key used in Table

If you are dealing with an algorithmically assigned key, it's fairly
easy. The following statement just assumes you want to use the max value
plus one.

SELECT new_key_value = MAX(primary_key_col) + 1
FROM table

Then INSET the new record using the new_key_value returned from the
SELECT.

If you are not using an algorithmically assigned key, then we'll need
more information to help you.

Darin Delegal
'When the customer demands the impossible, they will end
up buying from the guy who offers them the impossible.
And the results, though tragic, are sadly predictable.' - Robert A.
Heinlein

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
On Behalf Of Jay Listo
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 7:16 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Probably Trivial: Finding Largest Primary Key used in Table

Hi All,

This may sound trivial...but I've been trying to find out how to find
the largest primary key that's been assigned/used within a table.

I'm new to DB development while I have done some DBA.

It would save me trouble when I want to keep control of the primary
keys, make sure that when I insert a new record I can assign a unique
primary key.

I would like to do this using a perl script...not as some stored
procedure or constraint so as to keep it as DB independent (regardless
of Sybase, MySQL, Oracle, etc) as possible.

Best Regards,
Jay