How to loop my function based on query result - php

Question

I wrote a function which makes a random id makeid(); Just to ensure the id is unique I have a SQL statement which checks if the id already exists.
$does_id_exist = mysql_query("SELECT COUNT(*) AS count FROM signups WHERE affid='$affid'");
if(mysql_num_rows($does_id_exist) == 1)
{
#loop function and perform query again
}
else
{
#insert record
}
So I'm having trouble with looping the function. How do I loop my function makeid() and perform the $does_id_exist check to ensure that each ID is unique.
--UPDATE-- Just to clarify- My code makes an id like YES#281E But before I INSERT this id into the users record. I just need to verify IF any other user already has this id. IF another user has this id that event must trigger my function to create a new id e.g. WOW!29E3 and again check the sql/query to ensure no other user has that id. Continue to loop if fails or end and INSERT if the id is available.

Answer 1

You can either just use a primary key on your database table, or something like this:
<?php
// the id to insert
$newId = null;
// populate with results from a SELECT `aff_id` FROM `table`
$currentIds = array();
// prepopulate
for( $i=0; $i<100000; $i++ )
{
$currentIds[] = "STRING_" + rand();
}
// generate at least one id
do
{
$newId = "STRING_" + rand();
}
// while the id is taken (cached in $currentIds)
while( in_array($newId, $currentIds) );
// when we get here, we have an id that's not taken.
echo $newId;
?>
Output:
STRING_905649971 (run time 95ms);
I'd definitely not recommend running the query repeatedly. Perhaps a final check before you insert, if your traffic volume is high enough.

Answer 2

Do not do COUNT(*), because you do not need to know how many rows is there (it should be 0 or 1 as you need Id unique), so even DB finds your row it will still be checking for the whole table to count. You really care if you got 1 row, so just select for row with that ID and this sufficient. You should also avoid using rand() - this does not help as you see and you cannot predict how many loops you can do before you find "free slot". use something predictable, like date prefix, or prefix incremented each day. anything that would help you narrow the data set. But for now (pseudocode!):
$id = null;
while( $id == null ) {
$newId = 'prefix' . rand();
mysql_query("SELECT `affid` FROM `signups` WHERE `affid`='${newId}'");
if( mysql_num_rows() == 0) {
$id = newId;
break;
}
}
Ensure you got DB indexed, to speed things up.
EDIT: I do agree that any cache would be useful to speed things up (you can add it easily yourself based on #Josh example), still, I think this is fixing at wrong place. If possible rethink the way you generate your ID. It does not really need to be auto increment, but something more predictable than rand() would help you. If your ID does not need to be easily memorable and it is not any security concern to have them sequential, maybe use numbers with other base than 10 (i.e. using 26 would use all digits + letters so you'd end with PREFIX-AX3TK, so string as you want, and at the same time you would easily be able to quickly generate next Id