How To Retrieve Identity Column After Insert Using RDO

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This article was previously published under Q170147

For a Microsoft Visual Basic .NET version of this article, see 320141 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320141/EN-US/ ) .

SUMMARY

SQL Server Identity columns automatically increment their value when a new record is added to the table, which makes them very useful for a unique primary key. When using RDO, you may want to know what the new value of the Identity column is after inserting a new record with the RDO Addnew/Update methods, or with a SQL INSERT statement.

SQL Server maintains an environment variable named @@IDENTITY that stores the value of the last Identity column added. This environment variable can be queried several different ways from RDO.

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MORE INFORMATION

The following two code examples demonstrate how the value of the Identity column is retrieved from the SQL Server Pubs database using RDO, after a new record is inserted. For testing purpose, a temporary table, IColTest, is created in Pubs database with one Identity column and one VarChar column.

To create a temporary table and index in SQL Server, select Pubs database, then place the following Create Table T-SQL in the SQL window of ISQL/W and execute it.

   Create Table IColTest
           (Id_Col int Identity, F2 VarChar(30) Null)
   Create Unique Index IIndex on IColTest(Id_Col)

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Example One

This example uses a stored procedure to insert a row by taking parameters passed from RDO, and then returns the value of @@IDENTITY in a OUTPUT parameter.

Task One: Create the Stored Procedure

To create this stored procedure, place the following Create Procedure T-SQL in the SQL window of ISQL/W and execute it:

   Create Procedure MyInsert
       @FieldVal Varchar(30), @id Int OUTPUT AS
       Insert Into IColTest (F2) Values(@FieldVal)
       Select @id = @@Identity

Task Two: Create the VB Code

Start a new project in Visual Basic and choose "Standard EXE". Form1 is created by default.
Add a CommandButton to Form1, Command1 by default.

Paste the following code into the code window of Form1:

      Private Sub Command1_Click()
         Dim cn As New rdoConnection
         Dim qy As New rdoQuery
         Dim strConnect As String

         strConnect = "Driver={SQL Server}; Server=MyServer; _
                       Database=Pubs; Uid=<username>; Pwd=<strong password>"
         With cn
           .Connect = strConnect
           .LoginTimeout = 5
           .EstablishConnection rdDriverNoPrompt, True
         End With
         With qy
           Set .ActiveConnection = cn
           .SQL = "{Call MyInsert(?, ?)}"
         End With
         qy(0).Direction = rdParamInput
         qy(1).Direction = rdParamOutput
         qy(0) = "RainBow"
         qy.Execute

         Debug.Print qy(1)
      End Sub

In Visual Basic 5.0 and higher, you can also use the User Connection Designer (CQD) to create rdoQuery objects in your project. The CQD takes your SQL query and permits you to specify the data types for each parameter. It then inserts appropriate code in your application to expose these procedures very much like methods off the rdoQuery object.

Note that you must change your SERVER, UID, and PWD parameters in the connect string.
Start the program or press the F5 key.
Click Command1 button to insert a row and display value of @@IDENTITY in the debug window.

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Example Two

You can also do a Select @@IDENTITY with an OpenResultset after inserting a row without creating a stored procedure on the SQL server.

Add another CommandButton to Form1, Command2 by default.

Paste the following code into the code window of Form1:

      Private Sub Command2_Click()
          Dim cn As New rdoConnection
          Dim rs As rdoResultset
          Dim strConnect as string

          strConnect = "Driver={SQL Server}; Server=MyServer; _
                       Database=Pubs; Uid=<username>; Pwd=<strong password>"
          With cn
             .Connect = strConnect
             .LoginTimeout = 5
             .EstablishConnection rdDriverNoPrompt, True
          End With

          Set rs = cn.OpenResultset _
      ("SET NOCOUNT ON _
             INSERT INTO IColTest(F2) VALUES('Balloon') _
             SELECT @@IDENTITY _
             SET NOCOUNT OFF")
           Debug.Print rs(0)
           rs.Close
           cn.Close
       End Sub

Note that you must change your SERVER, UID, and PWD parameters in the Connect method.
Start the program or press the F5 key.
Click the Command2 button to insert a row to table IColTest and display value of @@IDENTITY in the debug window.

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