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My database of port purchases has just reached its 1,000th entry - a couple of bottles of Gould Campbell '75.

This gives me a slight headache, since I had previously made the assumption that a three digit serial number would be plenty..!

..hmm..!

Tom

If you make an assumption taht all previously used serial numbers are prefixed with A you can start with B001 and you'll have another 25 x 999 serial numbers to use up before facing this headache again

Or simply add a "." and start over. 999.1, 999.2....999.1888 etc. But I like Derek's idea better

Depending on the database software that Tom is using, it would probably be far easier to simply modify the field in the database definition, or if that is not possible due to software constraints then re-create the database with a larger field and export/import to the new database.

Congratulations on 1000 purchases!

Glenn E. wrote:Depending on the database software that Tom is using, it would probably be far easier to simply modify the field in the database definition

I think Tom's problem is more likely to be connected with the thousands of hand-written neck tags in his cellar that use the 3 digit format

DRT wrote:

Glenn E. wrote:Depending on the database software that Tom is using, it would probably be far easier to simply modify the field in the database definition

I think Tom's problem is more likely to be connected with the thousands of hand-written neck tags in his cellar that use the 3 digit format

In a switch to 4 (or 5, or 6) digits, any 3-digit number is presumed to start with '0'. Or as many 0s as necessary to give it the proper number of digits.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I think what I will do is write a macro that will scan the database for all the entries that have either been sold or drunk to extinction, and increase their case number by 1000. This will liberate 248 three digit numbers for re-use.

When they are exhausted, I can run the macro again, liberating a further set of numbers..

..as my ambitions for my cellar edge closer to completion, that will hopefully give me enough!

Tom

You can also solve the problem by drinking.....

If you find that another 248 numbers are not enough, I'd be happy to help drink some other entries to extinction. Consider me a willing volunteer.

uncle tom wrote:I think what I will do is write a macro that will scan the database for all the entries that have either been sold or drunk to extinction, and increase their case number by 1000. This will liberate 248 three digit numbers for re-use.

You need to leave evidence of this re-use in your data so that future historians are not baffled when they try to work out what the late Lord Archer of Cambridgeburghshire was buying and drinking ye olden days of the early 21st century

Drink down a couple hundred by the new year and you'll have a buffer.

You could probably publish a list of the ports that you have purchased and drunk to extinction. There is at least one port drinker I know who suffers from OBCS* and would buy a copy of that list.

OBCS - old book collector syndrome

AHB wrote:You could probably publish a list of the ports that you have purchased and drunk to extinction. There is at least one port drinker I know who suffers from OBCS* and would buy a copy of that list.

OBCS - old book collector syndrome

I'll buy one! Especially if you can make it look old and dusty and sign the inside cover