database development....

[Guest]

i have designed a datbase.... i have a simple form where by an auto number is
assinged to new contacts.

i want to learn how this unquie number can automaticaly appear when, i entre
in the contacts surname in a new form....?

also is it possible to have one contact.... with many matter descriptions...
on one one form.... coz, one contact might come back with more work... and
i'll need to keep a record of this????....

with kind regards if any1 has a simple answer.... you could e-mail me @:
(e-mail address removed)


thank u.

 

[Jeff Boyce]

The general netiquette suggests that questions posted in the newsgroups are
answered in the newsgroups. This potentially benefits any/all readers.

Access Autonumbers are intended for use as a unique row identifier, and may
not be all that suitable for your users to see. If you are creating a new
record in a form, and if you are using Access /JET as the back-end for your
data, you will see the autonumber value as soon as you "dirty" the new
record.

If you are using SQL-Server as a back-end, you have to save the record
before SQL-Server's version of Autonumber is actually created.

From a table design standpoint, it sounds like you have a 1:m relationship
between contacts and "matter descriptions". To do this, you'll need two
tables, and you'd use a main form for contacts, and a sub-form for "matter
descriptions".