select primary key from table in mysql

[TheObserver]

I'm wanting to do a select and retrieve the column name for the primary key in a table. I did a search and found a thread that described doing this in Oracle, but I'm pretty sure that wouldn't work in mySQL.

I'm using mySQL 4.x if it helps.

Thanks for your time.

 

[TheObserver]

I would like to be able to select the primary key out of a table in a way that would work for ANY database. I realize there may be different methodologies for doing so for each particular database. I can work around this with some branching logic. But, I'll still need to know WHAT database I'm working against. As such, as an alternate to my original question, "Is there a any ANSI SQL way to retrieve the database type (mysql, oracle, etc) I'm working against?"

Thanks again.

 

[swampBoogie]

There is a ANSI way, using the information_schema views. In this case information_schema.key_column_usage.

Neither Mysql nor Oracle supports information_schema views so you are out of luck.

 

[nigelrivett]

See

http://www.nigelrivett.net/ColumnsInPK.html

That works for sql server and should be ansi standard but ...

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