Global Database IDs

By Deane Barker

Here’s a handy feature for a database…

Tables can have primary keys, but what about a database-wide primary key? When a row is inserted, the “id” field would be populated with a numeric key that’s unique to the entire database, not just that table.

Additionally, a two-column system table would store (1) all the keys in the database, and (2) the table each key is in. So, with just a number, you could pull a record out of anywhere in the database, without even knowing exactly what it is.

Better yet, give me SQL syntax like this:

SELECT * WHERE global_id IS [number]

Or even just:

SELECT [number]

Since I don’t know what type of object it is, I don’t know the fields, so I can’t request them explicitly anyway.

The table name could be given back to me in a system field. Then my code could read that field, figure out what type of object it is, and load it up from the data in the record.

I know, I know – you could do this manually using triggers and a stored procedure or two. But what a pain. This should be supported natively.

Someone call Larry Ellison. I want royalties.

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