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Custom Auto-Incrementing

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    Custom Auto-Incrementing

    Hi guys,

    I have a table which contains the following fields:

    Observation
    Detail
    Cause
    Product
    Obs_ID

    I'd like Obs_ID to be a unique# only when there is a combination of the first 4 fields.
    Therefore any record that shares the same Observation+Detail+Cause+Product will also share the same Obs_ID.

    Let me know if this doesn't make sense.

    #2
    Re: Custom Auto-Incrementing

    I don't understand what your question has to do with auto-increment. It would seem to me you want Obs_ID to be a calculated field?
    There can be only one.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Custom Auto-Incrementing

      Hi Stan,
      Yes perhaps calculated field which increments to the next value for every unique combination.

      How about a unique index (Uniq_Obs) and using this calculated field rule:
      if(key_exist("Uniq_Obs",Obs_ID),previous("unq_obs","Obs_ID"),increment_value(previous("unq_obs","Obs_ID")))
      Last edited by hov333; 07-13-2017, 01:47 PM.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Custom Auto-Incrementing

        Thinking out loud here: what if there was another calc field that tested the 4 fields for content and was set to 1,2,3 or 4. Then your auto increment rule could be applied only if that number was less than 4? And instead of using previous() you could use tablemax() to get the last value for Obs_id and increment it.

        Edit: On 2nd thought scrap my first idea. Instead I have a question: if all 4 fields must match in order to share the same obs_id, why don't records that match on any combination of fields also share the same id? Thus only a non-matching new record needs to be tested for a new id? A keylink field that combines the data from all 4 fields would be one way. But some sample data would help...if the data in the fields is long, are there keywords that could be mined?
        Last edited by MoGrace; 07-13-2017, 03:55 PM.
        Robin

        Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Custom Auto-Incrementing

          I have no idea how this calculated field will perform with an increasing number of records.


          atest.zip
          There can be only one.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Custom Auto-Incrementing

            I spoke with John and we designed a system of a summary and append unique to control the ids by adding new combos to a master table and marking them as favorites as needed so the list is manageable.
            Al Buchholz
            Bookwood Systems, LTD
            Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

            Occam's Razor - KISS
            Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
            Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
            When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
            "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
            Albert Einstein

            http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Custom Auto-Incrementing

              there are only 120 possibilities of a 5 value combo provided no value is repeated, in other words, provided two fields cannot be of equal value (which I doubt they would in this case) so you cannot use an auto-increment field - you just need 120 different values, lol.
              If you do it would only auto increment 120 times then become obsolete as there are no more possibilites and any new value would be mean that two values share the same meaning.

              I just re-read your question and I made the mistake of counting the ID - 4 values would result in only 24 combinations so you just need 24 different ID's
              If you looked at it in terms of numbers that cannot be reused a 4 digit number can only be arranged in 24 combinations, on the other hand if there are infinate values in your 4 fields you would likely have no reason to create anything more than a GUID anyway as the number of combinations would be immeasurable.





              Last edited by CharlesParker; 07-14-2017, 01:33 AM.
              NWCOPRO: Nuisance Wildlife Control Software My Application: http://www.nwcopro.com "Without forgetting, we would have no memory at all...now what was I saying?"

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Custom Auto-Incrementing

                Charles

                You are mis reading the premise.

                The fields are not numeric.

                We have a working solution as I stated.
                Al Buchholz
                Bookwood Systems, LTD
                Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                Occam's Razor - KISS
                Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                Albert Einstein

                http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Custom Auto-Incrementing

                  I'd like Obs_ID to be a unique# only when there is a combination of the first 4 fields.
                  Therefore any record that shares the same Observation+Detail+Cause+Product will also share the same Obs_ID.
                  I' m sorry to chime in here with this radical statement but if you read these two lines the results are not a unique value.
                  Is the intent to have a field value that groups record based on a value or trying to truly giving a record a truly unique value?
                  Mike W
                  __________________________
                  "I rebel in at least small things to express to the world that I have not completely surrendered"

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