Auto Number Concern

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Cheese - 12 Jun 2007 16:34 GMT

While looking at my tables, I noted that the AutoNumber has changed
radically. Expecting the table to continue building on the three digit
autonumber, I was surprised to see 10 digit autonumbers appearing and at
times preceded by a minus sign. What gives? I created a master with a
replica...is this the source for the change? Thanks Cheese

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Douglas J. Steele - 12 Jun 2007 17:18 GMT

Yup: when you use Replication, the AutoNumber field is changed from
Sequential to Random. There's no way for you to change that behaviour.

Fortunately, it doesn't matter. The only intent of an AutoNumber field is to
provide a (practically guaranteed) unique value that can be used as a
primary key, and 3, 102346, -353467 serves that purpose just as well as 4,
5, 6 does.

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> While looking at my tables, I noted that the AutoNumber has changed
> radically. Expecting the table to continue building on the three digit
> autonumber, I was surprised to see 10 digit autonumbers appearing and at
> times preceded by a minus sign. What gives? I created a master with a
> replica...is this the source for the change? Thanks Cheese

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