How to determine the row id from a column field - SQLite 3, Python - python-3.x

Question

In my SQLite database I have a table called client_dir that is a directory of client contact details. I also have a table called contracts that contains the details of different contracts. I need to be able to create foreign keys that bind a contract entry to a client entry in client_dir.
The thing is , I want to be able to generate the foreign key by just providing the clients name. How do I summon the row id from a field entry?
I think it should look something like this...
def new_contract():
'''creates a new contract entry and links it to a client in the client_dir table'''
client = input("Company name...")
#int(row_id) = client
contract = input("New contract...")
self.cursor.execute("INSERT INTO contracts VALUES (?)",contract,#row_id)
UPDATE
My tables look like this :
self.cursor.execute("""CREATE TABLE client_dir(cli_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, company TEXT, address TEXT, phone INTEGER, email TEXT)""")
self.cursor.execute("""CREATE TABLE contracts(con_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, contract TEXT, client_id INTEGER, FOREIGN KEY(client_id) REFERENCES client_dir(cli_id))""")
and my new _contract method looks like this:
def new_contract(self):
'''creates a new contract entry and links it to a client in the client_dir table'''
client = input("Company name...")
for f_list in self.cursor.execute("SELECT cli_id FROM client_dir WHERE company = (?)",[client]):
f_key = f_list[0]
print(f_key) # For debugging
contract = input("New contract...")
self.cursor.execute("INSERT INTO contracts VALUES (NULL,?,?)",([contract],[f_key]))
print(f_key) is printing a nice tidy 1 on the screen which I am presuming is an int. but I am getting this error:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<pyshell#8>", line 1, in <module>
c.new_contract()
File "C:\Python33\smalltime\Client.py", line 63, in new_contract
self.cursor.execute("INSERT INTO contracts VALUES (NULL,?,?)",([contract],[f_key]))
sqlite3.InterfaceError: Error binding parameter 0 - probably unsupported type.

Answer 1

I have fixed this now. The error was due to the fact I was passing in the wrong syntax for the INSERT.
The correct last line of the new_contract method should be:
self.cursor.execute("INSERT INTO contracts VALUES (NULL,?,?)",**([contract,f_key]))**
(previously it had two extra braces : ([contract],[f_key]) and that was throwing it out)
so all that remains to do is remove the print statement and add
self.conn.commit()
to the end.