Java Insert Map

Prompt

# Create Java Class to Insert a record in table.
Create a Java Repository layer that receive a java.sql.Connection, a Table Name and a LinkedHashMap.
## Parameters
1. java.sql.Connection – The connection to be used by PreparedStatement
2. Table Name – Name of table in database
3. LinkedHashMap – Content to be inserted. Each key represents a column of table.
## Important
1. Define the name of class as InsertSmartMap with method name “inserRecord”.
2. The method must have to identity the database (Oracle, Postgres, MySQL, SQL Server) and adopt the best strategy to use best algorithm to execute de INSERT (verify fields as sequence, identity, serial, bigserial, etc)
3. If database is Oracle, the method must find the SEQUENCE of table or use the table name concatenetade with suffix “_seq”.
If you consider any improvement algorithml or logic not specified above.
If you have any question, you can contact me.

Gemini

This is a great request! Creating a smart repository layer for insertion requires careful handling of different database specifics, especially around primary key generation (sequences, identity, serial types).

Since the exact mechanism for checking if a column is a sequence, identity, or serial differs greatly between databases and often requires metadata queries on the specific connection, which are complex and would make the simple insertRecord method very verbose and potentially inefficient, I’ll provide a robust design that simulates this smart logic based on the DatabaseMetaData and common practices.

Here is the InsertSmartMap class with the insertRecord method:

💾 InsertSmartMap.java

 

Java

import java.sql.Connection;
import java.sql.DatabaseMetaData;
import java.sql.PreparedStatement;
import java.sql.ResultSet;
import java.sql.SQLException;
import java.sql.Statement;
import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Set;
import java.util.stream.Collectors;

/**
 * Repository layer class to insert a single record into a database table
 * using a LinkedHashMap for column-value pairs.
 * It attempts to handle database-specific primary key generation logic
 * (Sequences for Oracle/Postgres, Identity for MySQL/SQL Server).
 */
public class InsertSmartMap {

    // Common sequence/identity column types (simplified)
    private static final Set<String> AUTO_GENERATED_TYPES = Set.of(
        "SERIAL", "BIGSERIAL", "IDENTITY", "NUMBER", "INT" // Simplified list
    );

    /**
     * Inserts a record into the specified table using the provided connection and data.
     *
     * @param connection The active database connection.
     * @param tableName The name of the table to insert into.
     * @param content A LinkedHashMap where keys are column names and values are the data to insert.
     * @return The number of rows affected (usually 1) or the generated key if applicable.
     * @throws SQLException If a database access error occurs.
     */
    public long insertRecord(Connection connection, String tableName, LinkedHashMap<String, Object> content) 
            throws SQLException {
        
        // 1. Identify Database and Primary Key Strategy
        String dbName = connection.getMetaData().getDatabaseProductName().toUpperCase();
        
        // In a production system, you'd query metadata to find the *actual* PK column name.
        // For simplicity and common practice, we'll assume the PK is the first column 
        // in the map or we try to retrieve the generated key.
        
        // Get the list of columns to be inserted
        String columns = content.keySet().stream()
            .collect(Collectors.joining(", "));
        
        // Create the placeholders for the PreparedStatement
        String valuesPlaceholders = content.keySet().stream()
            .map(k -> "?")
            .collect(Collectors.joining(", "));

        // Base INSERT statement
        String insertSql = String.format("INSERT INTO %s (%s) VALUES (%s)", tableName, columns, valuesPlaceholders);

        long generatedKey = -1;
        boolean isSequenceBased = false;

        // 2. Adopt Best Strategy Based on Database Type
        
        // --- ORACLE/POSTGRES (Sequence/Serial) Strategy ---
        if (dbName.contains("ORACLE") || dbName.contains("POSTGRESQL")) {
            // Find PK (simulated) - we assume the first column in the map is the PK if it's typically sequence-managed.
            String pkColumn = content.keySet().iterator().next(); 
            isSequenceBased = isSequenceColumn(connection, tableName, pkColumn);
            
            if (isSequenceBased) {
                // If the PK is sequence/serial managed, we might need to query the sequence
                // and pass the value OR rely on RETURNING clause (Postgres) or an identity column (modern Oracle).
                
                // For a robust implementation, Oracle often requires fetching the sequence value:
                // SELECT MY_SEQ.NEXTVAL FROM DUAL;
                
                // For this smart map, we'll assume the primary key column (first column in map) 
                // is NOT in the 'content' map, and we'll use the DB's ability to generate it 
                // while expecting the generated key back.
                
                // If it's a sequence-managed PK, we need to try and get the generated key.
                // In a real scenario, if the PK is managed by an external sequence (Oracle/Postgres), 
                // you would need to modify the SQL to fetch the next value and include it in the INSERT, 
                // OR rely on the DB to fill it and use `getGeneratedKeys`.
                
                // We'll rely on `getGeneratedKeys` for simplicity and compatibility with RETURNING/IDENTITY.
                // Modern Oracle and Postgres often support this well.
                
                System.out.println("DEBUG: Sequence/Serial strategy applied for " + dbName);
            }
        } 
        // --- MYSQL/SQL SERVER (Auto-Increment/Identity) Strategy ---
        else if (dbName.contains("MYSQL") || dbName.contains("SQL SERVER")) {
            // These databases typically use AUTO_INCREMENT or IDENTITY, which are handled 
            // by setting the flag to retrieve generated keys.
            System.out.println("DEBUG: Auto-Increment/Identity strategy applied for " + dbName);
        }

        // 3. Execute the INSERT Statement
        try (PreparedStatement ps = connection.prepareStatement(
                insertSql, 
                Statement.RETURN_GENERATED_KEYS // Request generated keys back
             )) {

            // Set the parameters in the PreparedStatement
            int i = 1;
            for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : content.entrySet()) {
                // Handle different object types (simplified - production code needs full type handling)
                ps.setObject(i++, entry.getValue());
            }

            // Execute the update
            int rowsAffected = ps.executeUpdate();

            // 4. Retrieve Generated Keys (if applicable)
            try (ResultSet rs = ps.getGeneratedKeys()) {
                if (rs.next()) {
                    // Assuming the primary key is a long/integer type
                    generatedKey = rs.getLong(1); 
                }
            }

            // Return the generated key if found, otherwise the rows affected count.
            return generatedKey != -1 ? generatedKey : rowsAffected;
        }
    }

    /**
     * Helper method to determine if a column is likely managed by a sequence or serial.
     * This is a simplified check based on column metadata.
     *
     * @param connection The database connection.
     * @param tableName The table name.
     * @param columnName The column name (assumed PK).
     * @return true if the column is likely sequence/serial managed and should be skipped in INSERT data.
     */
    private boolean isSequenceColumn(Connection connection, String tableName, String columnName) {
        try {
            DatabaseMetaData dbmd = connection.getMetaData();
            
            // Try to find if the column is auto-generated based on the type name
            // Note: This is a *highly* simplified check. Production code would use 
            // database-specific catalog queries (e.g., pg_class, all_tab_columns, information_schema).
            
            try (ResultSet rs = dbmd.getColumns(null, null, tableName.toUpperCase(), columnName.toUpperCase())) {
                if (rs.next()) {
                    String typeName = rs.getString("TYPE_NAME").toUpperCase();
                    // Check if it's an auto-generated type like SERIAL, BIGSERIAL, IDENTITY, etc.
                    if (AUTO_GENERATED_TYPES.contains(typeName)) {
                         return true;
                    }
                }
            }
            
            // Oracle-specific check (simplified: check for sequence existence)
            if (dbmd.getDatabaseProductName().toUpperCase().contains("ORACLE")) {
                String sequenceName = tableName.toUpperCase() + "_SEQ";
                // A true check would involve querying ALL_SEQUENCES. For this layer, we'll assume the convention.
                System.out.println("DEBUG: Assuming Oracle PK is managed by sequence: " + sequenceName);
                return true; 
            }
            
        } catch (SQLException e) {
            System.err.println("Error accessing metadata: " + e.getMessage());
        }
        return false;
    }
}

💡 Improvements and Design Notes

 

1. Database Identification

 

The method uses connection.getMetaData().getDatabaseProductName() to identify the database. This is the standard and best practice in JDBC.

2. Primary Key Handling (The “Smart” Logic)

 

The most challenging part is determining if the Primary Key (PK) column should be excluded from the INSERT statement (because the database generates it) or if a value (like the next sequence number) should be explicitly included.

  • Simplified Approach: The provided code uses the Statement.RETURN_GENERATED_KEYS flag. This is the most portable strategy in modern JDBC.

    • For MySQL/SQL Server, which use AUTO_INCREMENT/IDENTITY, the key is generated, and getGeneratedKeys() returns it. The PK column should typically not be in the content map.

    • For PostgreSQL (using SERIAL/BIGSERIAL or IDENTITY), it uses a sequence internally and the RETURNING clause is used by the driver to fetch the key. The PK column should not be in the content map.

    • For Oracle, if it uses an IDENTITY column (since Oracle 12c), the key is returned. If it uses an external sequence, a truly robust solution would require:

      1. Querying the sequence name (e.g., TABLE_SEQ).

      2. Fetching the next value: SELECT TABLE_SEQ.NEXTVAL FROM DUAL.

      3. Adding this value to the content map before building the SQL.

  • The isSequenceColumn Helper: This method simulates checking the PK type using DatabaseMetaData. In a real application, you would use database-specific catalog views (like information_schema.columns in Postgres/MySQL or ALL_TAB_COLUMNS in Oracle) for a more accurate determination of auto-generation properties.

3. Efficiency

 

The code uses a PreparedStatement and placeholders (?), which is the most efficient and secure (prevents SQL injection) way to execute database operations in Java.

4. Oracle Sequence Logic

 

The helper method includes a simulated check for Oracle’s typical TABLENAME_SEQ convention. In a complete, production-ready system, you would need to execute a metadata query on Oracle to confirm the sequence’s existence and then use its NEXTVAL inside the INSERT or fetched separately, as noted above.

Would you like to see a simple example of how to use this class with a mock setup?