customer id as random number instead of autoincrement?

[brandname2007]

I would like to use the customer ID as an account number, however instead of auto_increment values, I would like to have a number automatically assigned when a user creates their account.

So I had the bright idea (or so I thought) of using a rand statement to auto generate a random number for the user account. First steps, I went into the database, and edited the customers_id structure, disabling the auto_increment and changed the data type from INT to BIGINT.

Step two, edit create_account.php. No this is where it gets tricky. I started off by adding the following code:

$customers_id = rand(1000000000, 9999999999); 

and then called the variable in the SQL array further down in the page:

'customers_id' => $customers_id 

Now to test my theory.... I created a fake user. Then I went into the db and upon examining the customers table, the value shows up as 0. So I tried removing the variable instance and changed the array code to:

'customers_id' => rand(1000000000, 9999999999) 

I cleared the 3 db tables and created another fake user, tada... SAME results.

I am at a loss here. I may not be an expert at PHP but I know enough about OOP and can get a feel for it by looking at all of the other code. Anyone have any ideas?

Is there another file that maybe I need to edit as well? I didn't figure so. I edited this file to add the company name to the array, since I didn't see the code for it, and when I would test an account with a company name, the name wouldnt show up anywhere. Upon investigation, I found that I didn't even have a company field in the customers table, so I added it, set it to NULL (in case a customer does not have a company name) and added the variable to the array. That worked just fine for me... it showed on account details, etc. (Yes I could Require the company name, but that would force all customers to have a company name for registration and my site serves both businesses and consumers, so it would not make sense to Require it... in case anyone was wondering why I chose to do it this way.) But I can't seem to figure out the account number. I understand the reasoning behind the auto_increment and not being a good idea to mess with it "at my risk" but I would like random account numbers that do not have to be manually updated. And yes, there is a SMALL probability that the node may generate a duplicate, in which a rare case would just require the user to reload (which generates a new RAND) and fill in the create account form again since the db will not allow duplicates as a PK. But the important use for this is when customers call in about their accounts, that is the way their accounts are tracked.

FOR THE RECORD: this is a secondary sandbox site/db. only test accounts have been setup on this site and a few sample products. I can simply truncate the address book, customers, info, and session tables at will. Once I get all of this figured out on the sandbox site, I will apply what I need to my test site, which is fully configured and ready for FTP(less my mods, respectively.)

Thanks for your time in reading this rather exhaustive post, and I hope to hear from your creative and technical minds soon!

[DrByte]

There are lots of places where Zen Cart uses the customer id number, and expects it to be an (int) value. It even sanitizes it to be such almost everywhere it's used.
Further, there are 90+ database tables, of which about half make reference to the customer id number, also expecting it to be an (int) value in order to retain relational integrity.

I STRONGLY recommend that you forego the approach you've tried, and try something else, such as perhaps adding an additional field specifically for an account number, and then rework other things according to whatever your business need is that's driving this need for account numbers.

[brandname2007]

That makes sense. I did not think of the relational tables and the foreign keys expecting INT. Maybe I will go the alternate field route. It should be just as simple to insert into and select from anywhere other data from the same table is used.

But the part that bugs me is that it still would not insert the rand value into the table. Is that because of the sanitization? Or could it merely be that the rand statement just happens to be generating a value outside the INT range?

Thanks for you help Dr. Byte.