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form recno and key # do not agree

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    #1

    form recno and key # do not agree

    This application database keeps track of rental confirmations in a rental condominium complex. Each confirmation carries a form number using "recno". Suddenly at about record number 6500, using the Find by Key function yields record number 6499 instead of 6500. All following records are also off by one. Can this "error" be corrected? Thank you!
    Tags: None
    #2
    RE: form recno and key # do not agree

    Recno is not absolute in that if a record or records are deleted and the table is packed, all subsequent records are reassigned record numbers to fill the "gap".
    There can be only one.

    Comment

      #3
      RE: form recno and key # do not agree

      Using the record number to create an ID is not a good idea.
      Record number is nothing but a physical position in a table. It could change if you deleted a record and then packed the table.
      That scenario could easily account for a duplicate ID value.

      Comment

        #4
        RE: form recno and key # do not agree

        Yes.

        Abandon use of recno() as the unique identifier for each record. It's not static and will change on you for the reasons already mentioned.

        One approach to solving this difficulty would be:

        1) create a new numeric field, width = 10, no decimals
        2) define and run an update operation to assign the current record identifier to the new field using a filter that limits the range to the first 6499 records.
        3) define and run an update op to assign the current record identifier + 1 to the new field using a filter that limits the range to identifiers greater than 6499.

        Naturally, your work will be much more complex if you have linked records in other tables. These identifier field values must be changed, too.

        As is always true when working with any operation, create a couple of good backups of everything first.

        -- t

        Comment

          #5
          RE: form recno and key # do not agree

          Tom -- thank you for your reply and suggestion. With that and the replies from John and Stan, I now understand what has happened. I will try your suggestion -- with proper backups!! John

          Comment

            #6
            RE: form recno and key # do not agree

            Hi Tom

            Part of my own work is teaching database design and Johns problem highlights something that I find lacking in Alpha's terrific documentation.

            Some sort of Basic instruction book on good Database design practices.

            There always seems to be questions about doing something in A5 that relates to Design principals.

            This problem if you can call it such is caused by the very thing that makes A5 such a great Database Engine. Ease of use.

            So people who would never have tried creating a Database application are now doing so.

            Robert

            Comment

              #7
              RE: form recno and key # do not agree

              Robert,

              I really agree. (As you know, this point has come up many times in the past.)

              However, I wonder if this group is motivated to read about design, at least until they hit a few shoals and it becomes obvious that they need to do so.

              Do you think this site should include a list of recommended readings--catagorized by level--or links to instructional sites?

              Bill
              Bill Hanigsberg

              Comment

                #8
                RE: form recno and key # do not agree

                Hi William

                I know what you mean about being motivated to read about design. One of the problems is there really isn't that much out there on Database design compared to books on how to use Database Software. Also what there is can be pretty heavy reading although there are a few Basic Database design books out there.

                As to your suggestions I think all them should be used plus other materials so that they can be gently led into doing more research. As they read the basic stuff provided by alpha they may realize the need to do more study before starting there project.

                1) Have a best practices guide, ie. Naming conventions, What fields NOT to use for linking tables, Don't use numeric fields for Data that contains #'s that are never used for calculations (ID #'s) etc...

                If you culled this message board you would find a lot this information.

                2) Glossary of database Terms, ie. Primary key, foriegn key, Normalization, etc...

                3) A short theory guide on how you determine what data needs to be stored in a table. This would be focused on the difference between DATA and INFORMATION.

                Data is simply the values entered into the fields of the Table.

                Information is data that has been processed in a way that becomes meaningful to the person viewing it. The values TXO5-1655, 7402 Kingman Drive, 24, 931017, and 8.2 are just data because they have no meaning at the current time. When incorporated in a Letter head or report header they become meaninful.

                Item # TXO5-1655
                Order # 931017

                But newbies will try to create fields to store INFORMATION instead of just DATA.

                Hope you find these suggestion useful.

                Robert

                Comment

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