Hiding "(AutoNumber)" until it is assigned.

  • Thread starter Thread starter nick
  • Start date Start date
N

nick

Hi Group.

I have a form on which I display various controls, including a read-only
text box which is to display the value of an autonumber field. When I
initially open the form up and before I start any data entry, the text box
that is display the autonumber simply says (AutoNumber). Once I begin
data-entry it updates to show the actual number, which is great.

Is there any way to stop it from displaying this "(AutoNumber)" placeholder
(for want of a better word) and leaving the box blank until I actually start
data-entry?

Thank you,

nick
 
Is there any way to stop it from displaying this "(AutoNumber)" placeholder
(for want of a better word) and leaving the box blank until I actually start
data-entry?
Click to expand...

Since I never expose autonumbers to user view in any case - along with
many other Access developers - the issue doesn't come up.

Autonumbers are not designed for human consumption; they'll always
have gaps in the sequence and can become random. And if you don't
expose the autonumber value, you won't be exposing the <Autonumber>
either!
 
John Vinson said:
Since I never expose autonumbers to user view in any case - along with
many other Access developers - the issue doesn't come up.

Autonumbers are not designed for human consumption; they'll always
have gaps in the sequence and can become random. And if you don't
expose the autonumber value, you won't be exposing the <Autonumber>
either!
Click to expand...

Thanks John.

My problem is that I currently have to generate a new PO number (this is PO
form) automatically. The autonumber field is bloody awful because, as you
say... it easily gets it's knickers in a twist... and the PO numbers have
big gaps in if someone decides that they don't want to save this record
after all.

Trouble is, I'm generally a web developer and usually work with ASP and SQL
Server. We've been forced to do a project within MS Access itself and I'm
really struggling! :(

Any general suggestion as to how to supplement the evil autonumber with
something that'll do the job mentioned above? Also - and this is making me
tear my hair out - how do I stop Access from committing a record to a table
until I'm ready for it to? i.e. when I press a 'save' button?

Thanks ever s'much.

nick
 
Any general suggestion as to how to supplement the evil autonumber with
something that'll do the job mentioned above?
Click to expand...

There's lots of examples on the web - do a Google Groups search for
"Custom Counter". VERY short example: in the Form's BeforeInsert event
put code like

Private Sub Form_BeforeInsert(Cancel as Integer)
Me!txtPONumber = NZ(DMax("[PONumber]", "[PurchaseOrders]")) + 1
End Sub

The real code would need error trapping, etc. but that should give you
a start. It uses DMax to find the largest existing PO number; NZ to
return zero if there ARE no existing PO numbers; and adds 1, and then
sticks the result into the textbox txtPONumber (which is bound to the
PO Number field).
Also - and this is making me
tear my hair out - how do I stop Access from committing a record to a table
until I'm ready for it to? i.e. when I press a 'save' button?
Click to expand...

This takes a bit of VBA too, and can be all but impossible if you have
subforms, since Access saves the record on the mainform the instant
you setfocus to a subform. Is this REALLY essential? Why?
 
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