[AccessD] Autonumber Assigned Immediately

You can 'restart' an autonumber.

Drew

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Bruen, Bruce [SMTP:Bruce.Bruen at railcorp.nsw.gov.au]
	Sent:	Thursday, September 08, 2005 7:24 PM
	To:	Access Developers discussion and problem solving
	Subject:	Re: [AccessD] Autonumber Assigned Immediately

	The real problem is that you can only have one autonumber field in a
	record - so by convention "we" all now expect it to be used as a
	surrogate key.  I have many, many times needed one or more unique
	identifiers (user visble).  Example, in a test management db I need
to
	automagically number a test scenario and also assign a sequential
unique
	number to its execution id.  In addition, how many problems could be
	solved by a "grouped" or restartable autonumber.
	Quite frankly AFAIC autonumber sucks for all uses.

	bruce

	-----Original Message-----
	From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
	[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of
MartyConnelly
	Sent: Friday, 9 September 2005 10:11 AM
	To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
	Subject: Re: [AccessD] Autonumber Assigned Immediately

	Just use autonumber keys that are GUID's and watch the tears flow.

	Charlotte Foust wrote:

	>And even if they are sequential, it doesn't mean they're
consecutive!
	>
	>Charlotte Foust
	>
	>
	>-----Original Message-----
	>From: Ken Ismert [mailto:KIsmert at texassystems.com]
	>Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2005 3:55 PM
	>To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
	>Subject: Re: [AccessD] Autonumber Assigned Immediately
	>
	>
	>
	>  
	>
	>>>IMO, the autonumber field is simply a way to create sequential 
	>>>numbering without writing a bunch code to do so.
	>>>      
	>>>
	>
	>You can't assume Autonumbers are sequential. You can specify random
new

	>values for an Autonumber field. Further, for replication, Access
will 
	>change all Autonumber fields to random, to reduce key collisions.
	>
	>So, you can only assume that Autonumbers are unique. 
	>
	>If you change Autonumber modes, knowingly or not, you can be fairly

	>sure your users will freak when they see "-1.07E+09" as the next 
	>reference number on a report using an Autonumber field.
	>
	>-Ken
	>  
	>

	--
	Marty Connelly
	Victoria, B.C.
	Canada



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