If I create a column with auto-increment in mySQL, can I have the number it generates be returned to me via PHP?

I think it is. Have you looked in the php manual?

If you set a colum on auto-incement it will generate a unique number in that cell. It will allways be the highest number possible in the table. So if you want it back in php, just select the row with the highest number in the auto-incement cell and you have you latest input.

greets

W.pothof
http://www.finishedwebsites.nl

Watch out for race conditions. If a second process creates another row, then the one you created won't be the one with the highest number any longer.

I suppose I'll try again. Have you looked in the php manual? Particularly

http://jp2.php.net/manual/en/function.mysql-insert-id.php

(Obviously, as Darin suggests, it's no good doing a separate operation, which isn't guaranteed to be the right answer.)