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MySQL AUTO_INCREMENT with Examples
Let us understand how ATUO_INCREMENT works −
The AUTO_INCREMENT attribute is used to generate a unique identify for new rows. Let us see how this statement works. Before that, consider the below query −
Query
CREATE TABLE tableName (
id MEDIUMINT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
name CHAR(30) NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (id)
);
INSERT INTO tableName (name) VALUES
(‘val1’),('val2'),('val3'),
('val4');
SELECT * FROM tableName;Output
+----+---------+ | id | name | +----+---------+ | 1 | val1 | | 2 | val2 | | 3 | val3 | | 4 | val4 | +----+---------+
In the above query, no value was specified for the ‘AUTO_INCREMENT’ column, hence MySQL assigned a sequence of numbers automatically to the ‘id’ column. A value of 0 can also be explicitly assigned so that the number sequence begins from 0. This can be done only if ‘NO AUTO VALUE ON ZERO’ SQL mode is not enabled.
If a column is declared as ‘NOT NULL’, it is possible to assign NULL to that column to generate a sequence of numbers.
When any value is inserted into an AUTO_INCREMENT column, the column gets set to that value, and the sequence also gets reset so that it generates values automatically, in the sequential range from largest column value.
An existing ‘AUTO_INCREMENT’ column can be updated that will reset the ‘AUTO_INCREMENT’ sequence as well.
The most recent auto-generated ‘AUTO_INCREMENT; value can be retrieved using the ‘LAST_INSERT_ID()’ function in SQL or using the ‘mysql_insert_id()’ which is a C API function.
These functions are connection-specific, which means their return values are not affected by other connections which perform the insert operations.
The smallest integer data type for ‘AUTO_INCREMENT’ column can be used, which would be large enough to hold the maximum sequence value which is required by the user.
When the column reaches the upper range of the data type, another attempt is made to generate a sequence of numbers. But this fails.
Hence, use UNSIGNED attribute if it is possible so as to allow a greater range of values in the column AUTO_INCREMENT values.
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