Re: data integrity and inserts

CREATE UNIQUE INDEX uidx_thename ON names(the_name);

Should prevent duplicates.

Ian Harding
Programmer/Analyst II
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
iharding@tpchd.org
Phone: (253) 798-3549
Pager: (253) 754-0002

>>> Scott Frankel <leknarf@pacbell.net> 12/01/04 10:11 AM >>>

I want to ensure data integrity when inserting into a table, preventing
multiple
entries of identical rows of data.

Does this call for using a trigger?
How would triggers perform a query to test if data already exists in
the table?

(The doco outlines how triggers perform tests on NEW data inserted into
a
table; but I haven't found anything on data already extant.)

Thanks in advance!
Scott


sample table:

CREATE TABLE names (the_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, the_name text);


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