[AccessD] Need Row Count in SQL for each Row

[Brad Marks]

All,

In the 1970s, I worked with some mainframe database software from Cincom called “Total” which was later repackaged as “Supra”.  Total and Supra were “network” databases which had a file type called “Variable” which stored records on “chains”.  One of the downfalls of these databases was that the physical position of a record on a chain had meaning.  Often reading down a chain of records would indicate the chronological order of the records.

After leaving the world of Total and Supra, I thought that I would never again work with files where the physical position of the record held meaning.

I now face a similar challenge.  I am trying to read data from a file where the order of the records has meaning.  Unfortunately there is no field in the records that can be used to retain the order.

I have a simple SQL statement that pulls the data from this file.  I would like to add a column in the SQL to keep track of the order of the records for subsequent processing.  I know that I can do this via a function in Access.

Here is the catch…  I have been instructed to not use any “special” Access features in the SQL that are not available in “vanilla” SQL, because there is concern about being too locked into Access in case the shop moves to another platform.

Is there a way to add a column in an SQL statement to keep track of “record count” via vanilla SQL?

I have done some digging and have not found anything yet.

Thanks,
Brad