Membership numbers

[Debbie Smith]

I have a membership database where each member who pays their dues receives a membership number consecutively to the last person who paid. I was wondering if it's possible to put in a formula where when you enter information into one field in the member record (say the date they paid) that it will automatically enter in the next number in the membership number field? Right now I have to go back, sort the database by membership number to find the last number used and enter the next number by hand.

So, for example, if John Jones paid yesterday and his membership number is 101, can Appleworks assign number 102 to Joe Cool's name when I put today's date in the date column for Joe, and then 103 to Jane Smith who also paid today, etc.?

Thanks,
Debbie

[Barry]

I have a membership database where each member who pays their dues receives a membership number consecutively to the last person who paid. I was wondering if it's possible to put in a formula where when you enter information into one field in the member record (say the date they paid) that it will automatically enter in the next number in the membership number field? Right now I have to go back, sort the database by membership number to find the last number used and enter the next number by hand.

So, for example, if John Jones paid yesterday and his membership number is 101, can Appleworks assign number 102 to Joe Cool's name when I put today's date in the date column for Joe, and then 103 to Jane Smith who also paid today, etc.?

Thanks,
Debbie

Hi Debbie,

You can do this with a Serial Number type field. If you are adding this field to an existing database, make a backup copy before proceeding.

The following assumes that the membership number is an integer (ie 103, as you've indicated above, not A103, 103ZZ or 2007-103 or similar), and is currently contained in either a Number type field or a Text type field.

Open a copy of the DB and note the last (highest) membership number currently assigned.

Press shift-command-D to define fields, then click on the field name for the field holding the membership numbers.

Use the popup Field Type menu to choose Serial Number, then click Modify.

OK the warning about losing data that can't be converted (this is why you're working on a copy).

Click the Options... button.

Set the Next value to one more than the last membership number you noted earlier.

Click OK. Click Done.

The field type will be changed, but the existing membership numbers should remain the same. New records created by pressing command-R or by duplicating existing records (command-D) will be assigned the next number.

Regards,
Barry

[Debbie Smith]

Thanks, Barry....that's what I was looking for.