database error handling

[Ashish Nandan]

HI all,

I am using jsp - servlet - jsp architecture for my application.

I have used employeeId as primary key in my employees table in mysql database. Now if a duplicate key is entered in the form, the database is throwing error stating duplicate primary key. Is there any way to handle that error and send an error.jsp instead?

[David Newton]

Catch the exception and redirect?

That said, IMO it's a Very Bad Idea to allow someone to set the primary key on the form: the primary key should be "invisible", for all intents and purposes, to application users.

[Vishwanath Krishnamurthi]

the primary key should be "invisible", for all intents and purposes, to application users.

Can you please explain this?

invisible- like to have it generated?

[Bear Bibeault]

Primary keys should not be made out of business data. Rather, they should just be id numbers that have no meaning and are only used for identification and relations.

[Hector Tenedero]

Try creating an ID generator. System.currentTimeMillis() is useful or just seacrh google.
About error handling, follow David's advice.

[Vishwanath Krishnamurthi]

Primary keys should not be made out of business data. Rather, they should just be id numbers that have no meaning and are only used for identification and relations

Guess this is to do with what I came across as 'surrogate keys'... thanks.. will read about them.

System.currentTimeMillis() is useful

can't use this I guess, if its a web-app that is distributed...