From: drscrypt@gmail.com   
      
   Over the last couple of days, I have tried lots of ways to generate   
   sequential numbers within a user defined function, including a stored   
   proc to compute the next number and a function to return it.  (I need   
   this ability as part of a larger scientific package, and it needs to be   
   a function).  I get errors similar to this:   
      
   "Only functions and extended stored procedures can be executed from   
   within a function."   
      
      
      
   Here is the latest non-working code I have after many changes.  In   
   essence, each time I call num_gen() function, I would like a new number   
   to be returned, and which can be used from other functions:   
      
      
   -- create the table   
   create table num_gen_table (id int)   
   go   
   insert into num_gen_table values (1)   
   go   
      
      
   -- sproc to move to next number   
   create proc update_num_gen_table as   
      update num_gen_table set id=id + 1   
   go   
      
      
   -- function to return the next number   
   create function num_gen () returns int as   
   begin   
      declare @new_num int   
      
      exec update_num_gen_table   
      select @new_num = id from num_gen_table   
      return @new_num   
   end   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)