How can I insert autoincrement value using SQL insert into select statement - sql-server

Question

I have the following code to insert data from a table in another database, but how can I insert into a primary key column by incrementing the last record in ID column value by 1? In my case [WORK ORDER #] is a primary key it doesn't allow null.
[WORK ORDER #] is nvarchar(10)
INSERT INTO DB1.dbo.WORKORDERS ([WORK ORDER #], [CUSTOMER], [SO DATE], [SO NUMBER])
SELECT *
FROM OPENQUERY([DB29],
'SELECT DISTINCT
NULL, --need to set auto increment value here
Customers.Customer_Bill_Name,
JrnlHdr.TransactionDate,
JrnlHdr.Reference)
FROM Customers
INNER JOIN JrnlHdr ON Customers.CustomerRecordNumber = JrnlHdr.CustVendId
WHERE JrnlHdr.JrnlKey_Journal = 11
AND JrnlHdr.TransactionDate = CURDATE()
-------------------// i tried as follows-----
--> You only do this one time...not with each query
create sequence dbo.WorkOrderSequence
as int
start with 43236
--> I took out the part that failed (you got option 1 and 3 kinda
--> mashed together)
insert DB1.dbo.WORKORDERS
([WORK ORDER #],[CUSTOMER],[SO DATE],[SO NUMBER],[ASSY PN-S],[CUSTOMER PN],[SHIP VIA],[PROMISED DATE],[COMMENTS],[PO #],[WO Notes])
select
convert(varchar(10), next value for DB1.dbo.WorkOrderSequence ),
x.Customer_Bill_Name,
x.TransactionDate,
x.Reference,
x.ItemID,
x.PartNumber,
x.WhichShipVia,
x.ShipByDate,
x.Comment2,
x.CustomerInvoiceNo,
x.SalesDescription
from
openquery
([DB29],
'select distinct
Customers.Customer_Bill_Name,
JrnlHdr.TransactionDate,
JrnlHdr.Reference,
LineItem.ItemID ,
LineItem.PartNumber,
Customers.WhichShipVia,
JrnlHdr.ShipByDate,
JrnlHdr.Comment2,
JrnlHdr.CustomerInvoiceNo,
LineItem.SalesDescription
FROM Customers
INNER JOIN JrnlHdr
ON Customers.CustomerRecordNumber = JrnlHdr.CustVendId
LEFT OUTER JOIN Address
ON Customers.CustomerRecordNumber = Address.CustomerRecordNumber
INNER JOIN JrnlRow
ON JrnlHdr.PostOrder = JrnlRow.PostOrder
INNER JOIN LineItem
ON JrnlRow.ItemRecordNumber = LineItem.ItemRecordNumber
WHERE JrnlHdr.JrnlKey_Journal = 11 AND JrnlHdr.TransactionDate = CURDATE()
AND JrnlHdr.PostOrder = JrnlRow.PostOrder
AND JrnlHdr.CustVendId = Customers.CustomerRecordNumber
AND JrnlRow.ItemRecordNumber = LineItem.ItemRecordNumber
AND JrnlHdr.POSOisClosed = 0'
) as x

Answer 1

Option 1
If you're on at least SQL Server 2012 (you didn't mention a specific version), you have a general sequence number generator that you can use. I like it a lot for this kind of scenario. In the DB1 database, you'd add your sequence like this:
create sequence dbo.WorkOrderSequence
as int
start with 5002230 --> pick a starting number greater
--> than any existing [WorkOrder #]
Then, you can just get the next number(s) in your insert-for-select statement:
insert DB1.dbo.WORKORDERS
([WORK ORDER #], [CUSTOMER], [SO DATE], [SO NUMBER])
select
convert(varchar(10), next value for DB1.dbo.WorkOrderSequence ),
x.Customer_Bill_Name,
x.TransactionDate,
x.Reference
from
openquery
([DB29],
'select distinct
Customers.Customer_Bill_Name,
JrnlHdr.TransactionDate,
JrnlHdr.Reference
from
Customers
inner join
JrnlHdr on
Customers.CustomerRecordNumber = JrnlHdr.CustVendId
where
JrnlHdr.JrnlKey_Journal = 11
and
JrnlHdr.TransactionDate = CURDATE()'
) as x
The sequence is a standalone auto-incrementing number. Every time you use the next value for dbo.WorkOrderSequence, it auto-increments. This way, you don't have to modify any table definitions.
Option 2
Alternatively, you could alter the DB1.dbo.WORKORDERS table so that the default value to use the expression...
alter table dbo.WORKORDERS
alter column [Work Order #] nvarchar(10) not null
default( convert( nvarchar(10), next value for dbo.WorkOrderSequence ) )
If you do this, then you can completely omit inserting the [Work Order #] altogether and let the default do the magic.
Option 3
If you're not on 2012, but on at least 2008, you can still get there...but it's a little trickier because you have to get the current starting [Work Order #]:
insert DB1.dbo.WORKORDERS
([WORK ORDER #], [CUSTOMER], [SO DATE], [SO NUMBER])
select
convert(varchar(10), x.RowNum + y.MaxOrderNum ),
x.Customer_Bill_Name,
x.TransactionDate,
x.Reference
from
openquery
([DB29],
'select distinct
row_number() over( order by JrnlHdr.TransactionDate ) as RowNum,
Customers.Customer_Bill_Name,
JrnlHdr.TransactionDate,
JrnlHdr.Reference
from
Customers
inner join
JrnlHdr on
Customers.CustomerRecordNumber = JrnlHdr.CustVendId
where
JrnlHdr.JrnlKey_Journal = 11
and
JrnlHdr.TransactionDate = CURDATE()'
) as x
cross join
(
select
convert( int, max( [Work Order #] ) ) as MaxOrderNum
from
Db1.dbo.WORKORDERS
) as y
Option 4
If you're on something earlier than 2008...you'll probably want a stored procedure to do the insert in two steps: inserting the work orders into a temporary table (one with an auto-increment [Work Order #] starting at the current table's max( [Work Order #] ) + 1 )...and then step 2 would insert the temp table into WORKORDERS with a convert.

Answer 2

I've dabbled a little with SQL but not to create tables as much. I have used postgreSQL along with knex to do so and I believe the solution that should fit for your needs as well is using the value unique. I apologize if that's not correct since I am junior to coding, but hopefully looking at this will help or looking at the SQL docs :) difference between primary key and unique key