With Access 2003 I have a tbl_Orders with the field OrderID set as Autonumber>Long Integer>Random. This produces long strings of numbers both positive and minus. Is it possible to set a certain format such as #### and no less than 0 but no more than 9,999?
random autonumber
- Thread starter galloway
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boblarson
Smeghead
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FYI:
Autonumber only exists to generate UNIQUE numbers. There is nothing else it is able to do. If you have it set to random, it will do just that and they will include negative numbers. If you use it in incremental mode it will increment from the last one it created (and if you start a record and then cancel or delete it the number it created is gone for good).
Autonumber only exists to generate UNIQUE numbers. There is nothing else it is able to do. If you have it set to random, it will do just that and they will include negative numbers. If you use it in incremental mode it will increment from the last one it created (and if you start a record and then cancel or delete it the number it created is gone for good).
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Just as a side note, your question causes me to infer that your autonumber has a purpose. Beware of this because if there is any chance that the number has a purpose, you must compare autonumber behavior to the business model that defines the purpose.
In general, autonumbers are ARBITRARY unique numbers guaranteed to not already exist as an index in the table that uses them. They are not guaranteed to be contiguous or even close to sequential. They are most often usable as hidden links between tables.
One valid use you COULD assign to an autonumber is to report it to your users after the fact as a "transaction confirmation number." I.e. once it has been assigned, if the customer ever wants to point you to that transaction again, the number is then useful. And this number DOES NOT REQUIRE either the SEQUENTIAL or CONTIGUOUS attributes. It's just an arbitrary number.
If you have no special formats for purchase order numbers, you can use an after-the-fact autonumber to report to your supplier that the order can later be referenced by PO Number xxxxxx (the autonumber). This is again using the number as a reference to a historical event.
If EVER your autonumber needs a specific format or structure, it can only need such because you are using it for something that isn't quite like the cases I just described.
In general, autonumbers are ARBITRARY unique numbers guaranteed to not already exist as an index in the table that uses them. They are not guaranteed to be contiguous or even close to sequential. They are most often usable as hidden links between tables.
One valid use you COULD assign to an autonumber is to report it to your users after the fact as a "transaction confirmation number." I.e. once it has been assigned, if the customer ever wants to point you to that transaction again, the number is then useful. And this number DOES NOT REQUIRE either the SEQUENTIAL or CONTIGUOUS attributes. It's just an arbitrary number.
If you have no special formats for purchase order numbers, you can use an after-the-fact autonumber to report to your supplier that the order can later be referenced by PO Number xxxxxx (the autonumber). This is again using the number as a reference to a historical event.
If EVER your autonumber needs a specific format or structure, it can only need such because you are using it for something that isn't quite like the cases I just described.
