Autonumber

[Guest]

I am a soldier in Iraq, creating a database for tracking down insurgents. I
am trying to set it up so that several of our subordinate units have the same
database, then export their files to our central database. I am having two
problems. 1) When I import, because the databases are all from the same
original database, there are many replicated key numbers (the key is an
autonumber). It will not import them or create a new key for them. 2) For
some bizzare reason, the key number has suddenly skipped from 1457 to, no
kidding, 42277557. However, in some forms it appears as "4E + 07." I have
enver used Access before creting this database, and so far it has been a
tremendous success. But these are huge connundrums.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Did you create a replica of the database? If so, that's why your autonumbers
are skipping: the autonumber field in replicated databases is random, not
sequential (be prepared for negative numbers...)

As to your second issue, make the textbox larger so that it can show the
entire value.

 

[Joseph Meehan]

I am a soldier in Iraq, creating a database for tracking down
insurgents. I am trying to set it up so that several of our
subordinate units have the same database, then export their files to
our central database. I am having two problems. 1) When I import,
because the databases are all from the same original database, there
are many replicated key numbers (the key is an autonumber). It will
not import them or create a new key for them. 2) For some bizzare
reason, the key number has suddenly skipped from 1457 to, no kidding,
42277557. However, in some forms it appears as "4E + 07." I have
enver used Access before creting this database, and so far it has
been a tremendous success. But these are huge connundrums.

First remember that auto numbers are not for human consumption. You
should not worry about what they look like.

I'll guess you add a lot of records and delete a lot of records and have
not run a repair and compact. Try running that repair and compact and see
if that helps.

I am sure someone here who has worked with like problems will give you a
much better solution to your shared file issue, but I will suggest that you
have each remote copy make it's own ID number and assign a new field for a
source ID called what you want and assign a unique number to each one. Set
that as a default value in the table so every record will have a unique
number composed of their ID number and source number combined. You can make
a unique key out of the combination of the two and no two records, no matter
where they come from will be duped.

 

[Larry Daugherty]

Thank you for doing what you do!

Your best solution might lie in using Replication. It's a bit more
work getting it going but, once the bugs are out, it will make what
you're doing a breeze.

If you decide to try Replication, there is another newsgroup:
microsoft.public.access.replication that focuses on those issues. Of
course, you can post here as well.

Sometimes it's wise to crosspost: put up to 3 newsgroups in the
newsgroups line. When you do that, an answer in one newsgroup will
propagate to all of them so that everyone will know shot's been posted
into a thread.

HTH