Sequence value

So, I want to insert new record and get immediately its sequence
value (serial column) (or OID). I Use iHTML web interface.
Now I have found out that I can give two queries in iHTML like this:

SQL ="SELECT nextval('koe_pkey_id') as val;
      INSERT INTO koe (id, name) values (val, 'uusi');"

Now there are some problems. The previous example causes an error:
ERROR: Attribute 'val' not found
Is there a method how to transmit a value from one query to another?

If I try the examples of FAQ:
SQL ="$newSerialID = nextval('koe_pkey_id');
      INSERT INTO koe (id, name) values ($newSerialID, 'uusi');"
Or
SQL ="INSERT INTO koe (name) values ('uusi');"
      $newSerialID = curr('koe_pkey_id');

I get: ERROR: parser: parse error at or near "$"

And lately (this may be an iHTML problem) if I try:
SQL ="INSERT INTO koe (name) values ('uusi');
      SELECT currval('koe_pkey_id') as val;"
It causes no error, but I cannot retrieve the value because the
queries seem not return any recordsets (nothig can be fetched).

Any hints are valuable!
Thanks
Esa Pikkarainen