Question

How do i insert these artist into database only if does not exist in database. I have written following code. But it is wrong. Will you please help me ? thanks

Artist List

Lata Mangeshkar  
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Asha Bhosle
Lata Mangeshkar
Mahendra Kapoor  
Lata Mangeshkar
Kishore Kumar
Lata Mangeshkar

My code

for l in artist:
        l = l.strip()
        cursor.execute("SELECT id FROM song_artist WHERE name = %s ;" ,(l,) ) # Id exist?
        artist_rows = cursor.fetchone()
        if not artist_rows:
            artist_slug = self.makeSlug(artist[0])
            cursor.execute( 'INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (%s,%s) RETURNING id;',(artist[0],artist_slug))
            print k

Output :

INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Lata Mangeshkar,lata-mangeshkar) RET
URNING id;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Lata Mangeshkar,lata-mangeshkar) RET
URNING id;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Lata Mangeshkar,lata-mangeshkar) RET
URNING id;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Lata Mangeshkar,lata-mangeshkar) RET
URNING id;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Asha Bhosle,asha-bhosle) RETURNING i
d;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Lata Mangeshkar,lata-mangeshkar) RET
URNING id;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Mahendra Kapoor,mahendra-kapoor) RET
URNING id;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Mahendra Kapoor,mahendra-kapoor) RET
URNING id;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Lata Mangeshkar,lata-mangeshkar) RET
URNING id;

OUTPUT SHOULD BE:

INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Asha Bhosle,asha-bhosle) RETURNING i
d;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Lata Mangeshkar,lata-mangeshkar) RET
URNING id;
INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (Mahendra Kapoor,mahendra-kapoor) RET
URNING id;

UPDATE:

I have already Added constraint on the column name to enforce the column is unique.

Answer 1

You have to use if not artist_rows: That’s all

    artist_slug = self.makeSlug(l)

cursor.execute("SELECT count(id) FROM song_artist WHERE name = %s and slug = %s ;" ,(l,artist_slug) ) # Id exist?
artist_rows = cursor.fetchone()
#artist_rows = artist_rows[0]
db.commit()
if not artist_rows:
cursor.execute( 'INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) VALUES (%s,%s) RETURNING id;',(l,artist_slug))
#k=( 'INSERT INTO song_artist (name,slug) SELECT %s,%s WHERE NOT EXISTS ( SELECT 42 FROM song_artist WHERE name = %s) RETURNING id;'%(l,artist_slug,l))
artist_id = cursor.fetchone()[0] # get mysql_insert_id using RETURNING
db.commit()