PostgreSQL function for last inserted ID

Question

In PostgreSQL, how do I get the last id inserted into a table?

In MS SQL there is SCOPE_IDENTITY().

Please do not advise me to use something like this:

Answer 1

Leonbloy's answer is quite complete. I would only add the special case in which one needs to get the last inserted value from within a PL/pgSQL function where OPTION 3 doesn't fit exactly.

For example, if we have the following tables:

CREATE TABLE person(
   id serial,
   lastname character varying (50),
   firstname character varying (50),
   CONSTRAINT person_pk PRIMARY KEY (id)
);

CREATE TABLE client (
    id integer,
   CONSTRAINT client_pk PRIMARY KEY (id),
   CONSTRAINT fk_client_person FOREIGN KEY (id)
       REFERENCES person (id) MATCH SIMPLE
);

If we need to insert a client record we must refer to a person record. But let's say we want to devise a PL/pgSQL function that inserts a new record into client but also takes care of inserting the new person record. For that, we must use a slight variation of leonbloy's OPTION 3:

INSERT INTO person(lastname, firstname) 
VALUES (lastn, firstn) 
RETURNING id INTO [new_variable];

Note that there are two INTO clauses. Therefore, the PL/pgSQL function would be defined like:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION new_client(lastn character varying, firstn character varying)
  RETURNS integer AS
$BODY$
DECLARE
   v_id integer;
BEGIN
   -- Inserts the new person record and retrieves the last inserted id
   INSERT INTO person(lastname, firstname)
   VALUES (lastn, firstn)
   RETURNING id INTO v_id;

   -- Inserts the new client and references the inserted person
   INSERT INTO client(id) VALUES (v_id);

   -- Return the new id so we can use it in a select clause or return the new id into the user application
    RETURN v_id;
END;
$BODY$
  LANGUAGE plpgsql VOLATILE;

Now we can insert the new data using:

SELECT new_client('Smith', 'John');

or

SELECT * FROM new_client('Smith', 'John');

And we get the newly created id.

new_client
integer
----------
         1