String checking and updating mysql

[wiggst3r]

Hi

 

I'm, trying to generate a string that has 7 chars. The first one must be 'f' and the remaining 6 have to be all uppercase alphanumeric and must not contain '0' (zero), i or O.

The script is to update a current row in a mysql database, which there is 150 rows. Each string must be unique, so I need some way of checking for the string in before I update each row.

 

Can anyone help me? Thanks

[Mchl]

Create UNIQUE index on this field, so that MySQL will not allow you to insert same code twice (the query will return errorno 1062)

[wiggst3r]

Is there anyway in PHP that I can do this?

That will check if the string isn't already there, generate another string update the row and then move onto the next?

 

[Mchl]

Yes... you could do a SELECT query first to check if it already exists in table, but using UNIQUE index is much better IMHO

[Mad Mick]

I would generate an array of strings - you can check for a repeated string each time you generate a new one using in_array().

 

Then you can chuck the whole array into your MySQL table when you have finished.

 

I would think it would be easier than handling MySQL errors.

[Mchl]

do {
$uniqueString = generateString();
mysql_query("INSERT INTO table VALUES ('$uniqueString')");
} while (mysql_errno() == 1062)

 

What's easier than this?

 

[edit]

 

That'd be == 1062 not != 1062

[Mad Mick]

Fair enough, much neater!!