Renumbering records in a table

[K. Georgiadis]

I use MS Access XP but my skill level is no better than
Intermediate.
I'm trying to help a charity to reorganize its donor
records. Over 4400 customer IDs have been assigned but
most of them have been deleted over time, with only about
1500 of them remaining active.

1) Is there a way to automatically renumber the records
in the table starting with #1?

2) Is there an expression that can identify gaps in the
donor ID numbers, so that the deleted ID number can be
assigned to other donors?

 

[Arvin Meyer]

Database numbers should only have meaning to the specific database, never to
anything else. Renumbering makes that meaning useless for all archival
information, and indeed even current information.

What would happen if your state renumbered your driver's licenses? Even if
they had a plan to correct their database, how about all the insurance
companies? I do mean all of them too, as they all have databases on you even
if you are not their customer.

How about if the IRS audited one of your donors prior income tax returns and
the number supplied on the receipt was different? I am pretty sure that you
could count on ending your relationship with that donor.

Leave the numbering system alone!
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access downloads:
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access