Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.databases.filemaker > #1421

Re: any ideas to workaround Serial Number limitation of 2147483647

Show all headers | View raw

"Lynn Allen" <lynn@NOT-semiotics.com> wrote in message
news:4d535f34@news.bnb-lp.com...
> On 2011-02-09 15:11:11 -0800, George Lewycky <grlewycky@gmail.com> said:
> >
> > We have an old Filemaker Pro 5.0 application that we are replacing to
> > SQL Server, VB .NET and currently
> > our real serial number is 2147483647 and whenever we do a range
> > calculation this is its maximum and the next number in sequence
> > becomes "-2147483648" etc etc  (see below)
> >
> > Has anyone encountered this and found a work around
>
> It seems unlikely that you have that many records in FM just from a
> capacity standpoint, so there must be many serials going unused.  I am
> presuming this serial is used as a key in one or several tables.
>
> Since you don't plan on using FM going forward I would create a field
> in whatever is the base parent table called "reserialize" and enter
> sequential serials starting from 1 in that table.
>
> Then in the child tables, using the original key field and the new
> serial field as a "translator", pull the new serial into the foreign
> key fields of the child records. (Obviously work on a copy of your
> files, belt and suspenders when working with keys)  Lather, rinse,
> repeat, until all tables have the new serials in their key fields. Test
> and check to make sure all relationship are functioning.
>
> Now you'll be nowhere near the limit.  Rather than trying to overcome a
> programmatic limitation, kludge the data. ;)

Assuming that somehow that number of records has been created of the years
(no doubt some have probably been deleted), then you might also want to
alter the serial number to include a creation year appended to the
auto-created serial number, e.g. Year & "-" & Serial to give serial numbers
like:
       2011-2147480007
       2011-2147480008
       2012-2147480009

Then it won't matter if the auto-created serial number on the trailing end
rolls over and starts again since the creation year will keep individual
records separated.

Helpful Harry  :o)

Back to comp.databases.filemaker | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

Re: any ideas to workaround Serial Number limitation of  2147483647 Lynn Allen <lynn@NOT-semiotics.com> - 2011-02-09 19:45 -0800
  Re: any ideas to workaround Serial Number limitation of  2147483647 "Your Name" <your.name@isp.com> - 2011-02-10 18:18 +1300
    Re: any ideas to workaround Serial Number limitation of 2147483647 John G <greentest@ozemail.com.au> - 2011-02-11 11:31 +1100
      Re: any ideas to workaround Serial Number limitation of 2147483647 George Lewycky <grlewycky@gmail.com> - 2011-02-11 19:55 -0800
    Re: any ideas to workaround Serial Number limitation of 2147483647 George Lewycky <grlewycky@gmail.com> - 2011-02-10 06:51 -0800

csiph-web