Custom Autonumber prefix drops off within table.

[mindbender]

I am trying to add a prefix to the autonumber in a table so when I append it to a different table I can ensure the values are unique and won't get bounced. The table I am appending to already has an autonumber and some of the ids in the 2 tables are the same.



I created an autonumber field with the format "777"0000
When I look in the table I see the id is set to 7771111 but if I click on that field the 777 disappears and when I append this data to the other table it drops off as well.

Is there a way to make this prefix stick as part of the autonumber. I tried copying the field to another field but it also only copies the 1111 and not the full 7771111 number.

Hope I am making sense

Thanks in advance

[JoeM]

You have no control over determining that Autonumber value.
What you are actually doing with the "777" is just applying a Custom Format to the field. It does not change the actual value of the field. The value is stored without the "777" (it isn't really there, it is just a custom format).

You would have to change the field from an Autonumber to something else if you want control over settings its values.

Perhaps create a new primary ID field for the table that has a prefix and then your Autonumber added to it. I guess it really depends on why you are trying to do this, and what it is actually used for, other than a unique identifier (are there other things linked to it)?

[June7]

Format property setting does not change data, it is merely a display setting.

Cannot modify autonumber value and save back into the autonumber field.

Why should it matter if autonumber fields in different tables generate same numbers?

Autonumber keys are not supposed to have meaning to users.

Why do you show 777 in narrative but 770 in table?

[orange]

mindbender,

I am trying to add a prefix to the autonumber in a table so when I append it to a different table I can ensure the values are unique and won't get bounced. The table I am appending to already has an autonumber and some of the ids in the 2 tables are the same.

??
Perhaps I'm missing you point.
It seems you have 2 tables. Each table represents a separate concept/thing/entity. I don't follow how the same value for the autonumber PK in each table is an issue???

Eg, John Doe is 47 years old. He lives at 47 Apple Street. His zip code is 47000. The 47 is not an issue.

Consider, you Sell 300 units of a product whose ProductID is 300 to Customer number 300.

Please tell us more about the id values being the same is 2 separate tables.

[mindbender]

You have no control over determining that Autonumber value.
What you are actually doing with the "777" is just applying a Custom Format to the field. It does not change the actual value of the field. The value is stored without the "777" (it isn't really there, it is just a custom format).

You would have to change the field from an Autonumber to something else if you want control over settings its values.

Perhaps create a new primary ID field for the table that has a prefix and then your Autonumber added to it. I guess it really depends on why you are trying to do this, and what it is actually used for, other than a unique identifier (are there other things linked to it)?

Thanks for the clarification. I will go a different route