Why SQL Server is skipping identity column values

Question

0.00/5 (No votes)

See more:

Hi,

I had a strange experience with SQL Server's Identity column property.
I have a table with an identity column. This morning I noticed that SQL server skipped a value in that column.
Now the values are like
101
102
103
105

I am not seeing 104 here.

I have regenerated this issue by creating an exception while inserting data. whenever an exception occurs, SQL considers that as an insertion and skips that value in the next insertion attempt.

How I can solve this? I want this identity column value be sequential.

Thanks for your time
Sebastian

Posted 22-Dec-10 2:56am

Sebastian T Xavier

Add a Solution

2 solutions

Solution 2

Validate all of the values necessary for insertion before attempting the insert statement itself and exit the process gracefully instead of only doing it on an insert exception.
As well, you may be able to wrap the process in a transaction. I'm not totally sure, but a transaction rollback may allow for the auto identity value to reset itself in that case.

Posted 22-Dec-10 4:04am

fjdiewornncalwe

Comments

Sebastian T Xavier 22-Dec-10 10:15am

That option too I am studying.. Thanks

Corporal Agarn 22-Dec-10 14:27pm

I too would have suggested this but not so well put.

Add a Solution

Add your solution here

Treat my content as plain text, not as HTML

Preview 0

…

Existing Members

Sign in to your account

...or Join us

Download, Vote, Comment, Publish.

Your Email
Password
Forgot your password?

Your Email
This email is in use. Do you need your password?
Optional Password

I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Please subscribe me to the CodeProject newsletters

When answering a question please:

Read the question carefully.
Understand that English isn't everyone's first language so be lenient of bad spelling and grammar.
If a question is poorly phrased then either ask for clarification, ignore it, or edit the question and fix the problem. Insults are not welcome.
Don't tell someone to read the manual. Chances are they have and don't get it. Provide an answer or move on to the next question.

Let's work to help developers, not make them feel stupid.

This content, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

Shahriar Iqbal Chowdhury/Galib · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-22T03:17:00

Solution 1

Hi,
you have to add exception handling around insert operation.
if exception occured you have to reseed the identity value
dbcc checkident (mytable, reseed, 30)
with the last identity value
You will get more resource in here

Reseed identity value
http://ryanfarley.com/blog/archive/2004/12/19/1313.aspx[^]

Retrieve identity value
http://www.blackwasp.co.uk/SQLScopeIdentity.aspx[^]

Posted 22-Dec-10 3:17am

Shahriar Iqbal Chowdhury/Galib

Comments

Hiren solanki 22-Dec-10 9:25am

That's a good answer.

Sebastian T Xavier 22-Dec-10 9:54am

Thank you