Question: I'm parsing a json feed routinely and need to insert only the newest users from the feed and ignore existing users.

I think what I need is `ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE` or `INSERT IGNORE` based on some searching but I'm not quite sure which is why I'm asking - so for example:

```
users
1     John
2     Bob

```

Partial JSON:

```
{ userid:1, name:'John' },
{ userid:2, name:'Bob' },
{ userid:3, name:'Jeff' }

```

From this feed I only want to insert Jeff. I could do a simple loop through all users and do a simple SELECT query and see if the user id is already in the table, if not I do an INSERT, however I suspect it won't be an efficient and practical method. 

By the way, I'm using Zend\_Db for the database interaction if anyone would like to cater a specific answer :) I don't mind a generic strategic solution though.

Answer: 
For Zend Framework, what I do is a try/catch of the insert statement and take further action based on the exception code:

```
class Application_Model_DbTable_MyModel extends Zend_Db_Table_Abstract

    public function insert($aData, $bIgnore = false) 
    {

        try 
        {
            $id =  parent::insert($aData);
        } 
        catch(Zend_Db_Statement_Mysqli_Exception $e) 
        {
            // code 1062: Mysqli statement execute error : Duplicate entry
            if($bIgnore && $e->getCode() == 1062) 
            {
                // continue;
            } 
            else 
            {
                throw $e;
            }
        }
        return !empty($id) ? $id : false;
    }
}

```
My solution :

```
/**
 * Perform an insert with the IGNORE word
 *
 * @param $data array
 * @return number the number of rows affected
 */
public function insertIgnore(array $data)
{
    // Start of query
    $sql = sprintf("INSERT IGNORE INTO %s (", $this->getAdapter()->quoteIdentifier($this->info('name')));
    // Retrieve column identifiers
    $identifiers = array_keys($data);
    foreach ($identifiers as $key => $value) {
        // Quote identifier
        $identifiers[$key] = $this->getAdapter()->quoteIdentifier($value);
    }
    // Concat column identifiers
    $sql .= implode(', ', $identifiers);
    $sql .= ") VALUES (";
    foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
        // Quote values
        $data[$key] = $this->getAdapter()->quote($value);
    }
    // Concat values identifiers
    $sql .= implode(', ', $data);
    $sql .= ")";
    // Process the query
    return $this->getAdapter()->query($sql)->rowCount();
}

```