(mysql, php) How to get auto_increment field value before inserting data?

Question

I'm uploading image file to storage server. Before uploading I should compose filename, which contains AUTOINCREMENT VALUE in it (for example, 12345_filename.jpg).

How could I get autoincrement value before inserting into DB?

I see only one solution

1. insert empty row
2. get it's autoincrement value
3. delete this row
4. insert row with real data using autoincrement value from p.1

Is there any other solutions?

Thank you

Answer 1

The autoincrement value is generated by the database itself, when the insertion is done ; which means you cannot get it before doing the actual insert query.

The solution you proposed is not the one that's often used -- which would be :

• insert some half-empty data
• get the autoincrement value that's been generated
• do your calculations, using that autoincrement value
• update the row to put the new / full data in place -- using the autoincrement generated earlier in the where clause of the update query, to identify which row is being updated.

Of course, as a security precaution, all these operations have to be made in a transaction (to ensure a "all or nothing" behavior)

As pseudo-code :

begin transaction
insert into your table (half empty values);
$id = get last autoincrement id
do calculations
update set data = full data where id = $id
commit transaction