To: pgsql-sql@postgresql.org
From: Thomas Kellerer <spam_eater@gmx.net>
Subject: Re: How to autoincrement a primary key...
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2006 00:12:00 +0200
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Richard Broersma Jr wrote on 22.09.2006 21:25:
>> I am sure this is simple, but I don't get it. I am new to PGSQL, coming from
>> MySQL - in mysql, you can autoincrement the primary key; in postgre, I am
>> not sure how to do this. I have read the documentation, and tried "nextval"
>> as the default - I have searched for the datatype SERIAL, but I am using
>> navicat and this datatype is not supported. Can someone tell me how to do
>> this - I just want the integer value for a primary key to autoincrement by
>> one. 
> 
> CREATE TABLE bar (id    SERIAL PRIMARY KEY);
> 
> 
> Is just shorthand notation for:
> 
> CREATE SEQUENCE foo START 1;
> CREATE TABLE bar (id integer PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT nextval('bar'));
> 

Well the shorthand notation has a minor gotcha: you cannot drop the sequence 
that has been created automatically. Only if you drop the column itself. Should 
not be a problem, but it is a difference between a SERIAL PRIMARY KEY definition 
and the "verbose" mode

Thomas