I have been having a problem with my Auto Numbers changing. The identification number for each record is not the same now as when I entered the record into the database. I am not sure how this could have been changed, perhaps when the records were sorted once? This creates a problem when I am trying to create mailing labels and only want to select a few records (addresses) because the record number that I select is not the same as what it shows on the database. An example: Instead of getting "John Reed's" address which is record #3 on the label, I get "Molly Hanson" which is record #12. Have you ever seen this happen before? Hopefully there is a way to fix it so that I don't have to redue the entire database. Can I just change the Auto Number/Record Number and fix it that way? Please help.
You're apparently making a very common erroneous assumption. An
Autonumber IS NOT A RECORD NUMBER.
It's a stable, unique, arbitrary number assigned when a record is
created and (unless you go to a lot of trouble to change do so) it
never changes. Sorting the data in your table will not affect the
value of autonumbers. It is NOT guaranteed to be sequential; if you
delete a record, there will be a gap in the autonumber sequence. Could
it be that the number on the label is a calculated-on-the-fly
sequential number?
In general you should never see autonumber values or show them to
users; since they will always have gaps, are not necessarily
sequential, they are often confusing. Instead, use a query to select
"John Reed" by name rather than by number; or assign a non-autonumber
unique key; or gulp hard, put up with the nonsequential and arbitrary
nature of autonumbers, and use them anyway.
