Re: Tables

On Thu, Oct 20, 2005 at 09:37:07AM -0700, Bob Pawley wrote:
> I have table 1, a primary source, which generates a serial number
> to make each item unique.

Do you mean that the table has a serial column (which is just a
convenient way to declare an integer column that takes its default
value from a sequence)? That's what one could infer from "generates
a serial number" but I'd like to make sure.

> I want to use this number to generate a row in table 2 linking
> the two rows and allowing specific information on each item to be
> developed..

What do you mean by "generate a row"? Do you want to insert a row
into table 1, then use that row's sequence number in an insert into
table 2? If so then see the nextval() and currval() functions.

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.0/interactive/functions-sequence.html

You'll probably also want a foreign key constraint in table 2.

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.0/interactive/tutorial-fk.html
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.0/interactive/ddl-constraints.html#DDL-CONSTRAINTS-FK

If that doesn't help then please provide more information. An
example that illustrates what you're trying to do might be useful.

--
Michael Fuhr