Unique serial number for two weeks

[fmp7_user_fmp7fmp7]

I have a database of my students. Each student is in the database for a few clases. Every two weeks 90% of my students move on and I get new ones. The students who move on are deleted from the DB.

What im trying to do is set up a unique serial number for each student so that for each class there is the same unique serial number.So for example:

name class serial

record 1 Jim Hitson math 1

record 2 Jim Hitson History 1

record 3 Jim hitson Spelling 1

record 4 Tiala Johnson Math 2

record 5 Tiala Johnson History 2

ect

Now comes the hard part how do I get this serial number to reset every two weeks without messing up the serials for the students who do not move on. So in the above example Tiala Johnson would still have a serial of 2 but since Jim hitson has moved on then the next new student would get the serial of 1. I have to have the serials reset so that there is no serials that are over 1000 in number, I cannot change this or I would just use a regular auto enter serial.

Thank you for reading and any help would be great!!

[Genx]

Why?

[fmp7_user_fmp7fmp7]

I need this to arrange their books, tests, quizes, painting supplies, ect.

[Vaughan]

Never change serial numbers.

I also wonder why you want to delete the student records: at some time in the future somebody is going to ask about attendance information, or want some statistics.

[fmp7_user_fmp7fmp7]

This DB is for my ease, and does not need to hold the records for any attendence or stat need. I spend hours arranging this text books, notices, tests, ect. What happened is that a test for student named Allice smith

went in the right box but after a long day at at school grading papers I mistakenly put Alice Smithe in Allice smiths box too. The two Allices got differnt grades so this caused alot of heart ache for me and for Alice. So if I was just serial number instead of a name for me to pattern match then for example if Allice smith is serial number 524 then all her items go into box 524 there would be alot less human error.

Issue two the serial numbers. This is a physical issue I only have 100 boxes so I cant have unlimited serials.

Edited May 14, 2007 by Guest

[comment]

I think it would be simpler to leave the serials running, and assign the boxes instead.

[filemaker 8 user]

I would love it was as easy as changing the boxes but I cannot do this as it is used by not only me but many other teachers. There has to be a way in FMP to make the numbers 1-1000 part of a value list , I just cant seem to get how to set it up. Any help would be great!

[comment]

I would love it was as easy as changing the boxes but I cannot do this as it is used by not only me but many other teachers.

I don't see the relevance. When you delete (or archive) a student, you take away their box. When you enroll a new student, you give them the first available box. This can be done automatically - if you restrict these actions to be performed by scripts. This is done one time, and from that point on it's "done" for all users.

There has to be a way in FMP to make the numbers 1-1000 part of a value list , I just cant seem to get how to set it up.

Create a table with 1000 records, numbered sequentially. Define a value list using values from the SerialID field of this table. This is basically the same thing as what I suggested earlier (a table of 1000 boxes), except instead of using a value list, I would use a relationship.

[filemaker 8 user]

I still dont understand. I am looking in the FMP book trying to figure out how to do a value list. I saw that it was a way to figure this out but I have not done one before, so Im still a bit lost.

I have created a table with 1000 records with auto enter serial validated in the range from 1-1000. I have a unique id for each student so now I need to marry each unique student to their number? I just cant seem to wrap my mind though this?? Arrrgggg

[comment]

See if this gives you some ideas.

ReUseSerials.fp7.zip

[Raybaudi]

Isn't this the same of this ?

[Vaughan]

Selecting a number from a value list of numbers from 1 to 1000 would be horrible. A slow and painful death.

Instead, make the list display only those boxes that are NOT assigned. Even better, make a button that puts in the first box number that isn't being used. That'd be cool.

To do this you'd need to have a table of box numbers (as others have suggested) and have people assigned to them. Create a value list that shows only those that are NOT assigned. The button would simply enter the first value on the list.