How to change a number or text data type to autonumber and keep the table data?

[Julian Ganoudis]

I need to include some records with unique numbers (text
or number data types)in my table, but after these have
been added, I want to start using autonumber to generate
incremental numbers. Access won't let you use the
autonumber feature once data has been written to the
table. Is there anyway around this? How can I keep my
first ten records with unique numbers and then start
numbering with autonumber?

Ex., W-34, W-54, W-64, then autonumber; 1,2,3, etc.

TIA--Windows NT 5.0, Office 2000

 

[Cheryl Fischer]

Access will not let you change the Data Type of an existing field to
AutoNumber, but you can certainly add a new field to the table and make it
an AutoNumber type. Given that some of your data must be of Text type
(W-34, W-54, etc.), I would recommend that you keep the data in this field
as "Old_ID" and make use of the AutoNumber field as a new field for all
records.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Cheryl, I'll try that.

-----Original Message-----
Access will not let you change the Data Type of an existing field to
AutoNumber, but you can certainly add a new field to the table and make it
an AutoNumber type. Given that some of your data must be of Text type
(W-34, W-54, etc.), I would recommend that you keep the data in this field
as "Old_ID" and make use of the AutoNumber field as a new field for all
records.




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Cheryl Fischer
Law/Sys Associates
Houston, TX




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