I am developing an web application where I have to give every new registrant a serial number. The main issue is with 'how to ensure uniqueness?'. I have searched through the different functions available with mysql and found mysql_insert_id() to be the fittest solution here. But before I run towards it, I need to know whether this function is thread-free. To more precise, say there are two users sitting at two different terminals and submits the registration form synchronously. Will they both get the same id out of the execution of the function mysql_insert_id()? Otherwise, my project will spoil. Please help. If I could not clear my point, please comment. Thanks in advance.
here is detailed solution
CREATE TABLE Persons
(
ID int NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
LastName varchar(255) NOT NULL,
FirstName varchar(255),
Address varchar(255),
City varchar(255),
PRIMARY KEY (ID)
)
By default, the starting value for AUTO_INCREMENT is 1, and it will increment by 1 for each new record.
To insert a new record into the "Persons" table, we will NOT have to specify a value for the "ID" column (a unique value will be added automatically):
If you have an id column on your table in your database and that column is set to be the primary key that will be enough. Even if 2 people will submit the form at the same the ids will be unique.
id column could be defined like this
ADD PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT
Alternatively, you can use the UUID() function in mysql.
A UUID is designed as a number that is globally unique in space and time. Two calls to UUID() are expected to generate two different values, even if these calls are performed on two separate computers that are not connected to each other.
mysql> SELECT UUID(); -> '6ccd780c-baba-1026-9564-0040f4311e29'
For further details : http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/miscellaneous-functions.html#function_uuid