For several tables that have identity fields, we are implementing a Row Level Security scheme using Views and Instead Of triggers on those views. Here is a simplified example structure:
-- Table
CREATE TABLE tblItem (
ItemId int identity(1,1) primary key,
Name varchar(20)
)
go
-- View
CREATE VIEW vwItem
AS
SELECT *
FROM tblItem
-- RLS Filtering Condition
go
-- Instead Of Insert Trigger
CREATE TRIGGER IO_vwItem_Insert ON vwItem
INSTEAD OF INSERT
AS BEGIN
-- RLS Security Checks on inserted Table
-- Insert Records Into Table
INSERT INTO tblItem (Name)
SELECT Name
FROM inserted;
END
go
If I want to insert a record and get its identity, before implementing the RLS Instead Of trigger, I used:
DECLARE @ItemId int;
INSERT INTO tblItem (Name)
VALUES ('MyName');
SELECT @ItemId = SCOPE_IDENTITY();
With the trigger, SCOPE_IDENTITY() no longer works - it returns NULL. I've seen suggestions for using the OUTPUT clause to get the identity back, but I can't seem to get it to work the way I need it to. If I put the OUTPUT clause on the view insert, nothing is ever entered into it.
-- Nothing is added to @ItemIds
DECLARE @ItemIds TABLE (ItemId int);
INSERT INTO vwItem (Name)
OUTPUT INSERTED.ItemId INTO @ItemIds
VALUES ('MyName');
If I put the OUTPUT clause in the trigger on the INSERT statement, the trigger returns the table (I can view it from SQL Management Studio). I can't seem to capture it in the calling code; either by using an OUTPUT clause on that call or using a SELECT * FROM ().
-- Modified Instead Of Insert Trigger w/ Output
CREATE TRIGGER IO_vwItem_Insert ON vwItem
INSTEAD OF INSERT
AS BEGIN
-- RLS Security Checks on inserted Table
-- Insert Records Into Table
INSERT INTO tblItem (Name)
OUTPUT INSERTED.ItemId
SELECT Name
FROM inserted;
END
go
-- Calling Code
INSERT INTO vwItem (Name)
VALUES ('MyName');
The only thing I can think of is to use the IDENT_CURRENT() function. Since that doesn't operate in the current scope, there's an issue of concurrent users inserting at the same time and messing it up. If the entire operation is wrapped in a transaction, would that prevent the concurrency issue?
BEGIN TRANSACTION
DECLARE @ItemId int;
INSERT INTO tblItem (Name)
VALUES ('MyName');
SELECT @ItemId = IDENT_CURRENT('tblItem');
COMMIT TRANSACTION
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this better?
I know people out there who will read this and say "Triggers are EVIL, don't use them!" While I appreciate your convictions, please don't offer that "suggestion".
