Unique ID = random string

[yaz]

Is there a way for MySQL to create a unique random string, without doing the random string in php, and/or without checking the table first for dupes?

 

ExampleTable

-----------------------------------------

TheID                  | TextValue       

 

a345dm4              | Random Text   

d41d8cd              | Random Text   

98f00b20              | more text

-----------------------------------------

 

TheID is already Unique.

 

Ideally I could do: INSERT INTO ExampleTable SET TextValue = "bla", and the statement crates the random string on its own.

 

I thought of doing:

 

INSERT INTO ExampleTable SET TextValue = "bla", TheID = MD5('')

 

But I'm not sure if mysql checks for the value to be unique without throwing me an error..

 

 

[fenway]

Assuming you're hashing something of reasonable length, MD5() should give you something psuedo-unique enough.