Generate automated numeric number as a type of field

Moving idea to product : Domino Designer

Thank you very much for your advice,

In my opinion, Notes doesn't have any function about easily generating sequential number for business when working in one server. But Oracle database has this functions that are auto lock and sequence, insert. It's provided to developers.

Notes developers can't make code correctly so that there are troubles about the same number.

To resolve, we always edit the data that is the same number.

I think business needs like this function provided by product, so I have posted my opinion in this forum.

Thank you very much for your advice and your time.

Best regards, 

Document locking only works if all replicas are online and accessible. It does not work for distributed systems and replicas on local machines. I'm sorry to say, but this is not a problem which the platform can resolve. This is a logical problem which also exists with any other vendor. Sequential numbers are working fine in Notes/Domino, but of course it is up to the application developer to apply the logic accordingly, if you assume the 'current' database to be the most up2date version then you are wrong in an environment where data is distributed across servers.

You can change your application logic like explained above, meaning to have a server side agent assigning numbers. You can also change the code to always contact a specific server to obtain the next available number (..this will of course fail without a network connection).

Thank you very much for your advice,

That would go well. I completely understand.

But our typical users require a sequential number when they save a document and then the result of the sequential number displayed as a message box. Many of users realize Notes can't handle them correctly.

Thus, Many of users are thinking another tools like MS Access, SQL server, etc.

IBM provides document lock. But after Notes client is clash, document is being locked by system so that only administrator can unlock it. Thus, many of users don't use this way on business.

Generally, Handling master data in Notes is weak, isn't it?

I wish Notes domino would have tables like relational db in NSF.

Though I don't know there is a possibility to implement tables into NSF

Finally, Thank you very much for your advice and time, 

Best regards,

I sometimes needed to do a sequential numbering (e.g. for invoices). The only way to do this is by preventing local replicas to create an invoice. As soon as a User is working on a server, you can lookup the highest number and use that one+1 for the new document. It needs to be saved immediately.

Another way to solve it is to NOT assign a number when created locally, and have a background agent assign a sequential number once replicated to the server.

So how would you like this to be solved? if two people work in a local replica, the next sequential number would be the same for both of them. This is a conflict which the product can not solve. It is a logical issue in the application which can be solved even today by:

1. Allow users to create new documents that do NOT have any number assigned

2. have a serverside function (agent?) assigning unique numbers to all new documents when they have replicated to the same server.

Thank you very much for your advice. I understand completely.

I have seen a couple of databases using a unique sequential number made by original way not IBM notes system function. All the databases worked under without replication. They have a same problem. The sequential numbers are the same number in two document although we need unique numbers. Of course, the code is correct and simple.

Would we improve this problem by using lotus script or function or command without agent?

If we can control this by creating original code, the way of developing will be difficult for us.

Thus, I've posted my request in the forum.

Please rethink it over if possible and thank you for your time.

A unique number is provided by using the @unique function, however this is not a sequential number because in a distributed environment, with applications that replicate between servers world wide , and with Clients that can work offline the system can not just assume the next number is available for use. There are methods to get this done but its not part of the server core. If you want a unique number, refer to the documentuniqueId, or use @unique , if you want to create a sequential numbering system, the application logic needs to take care of that.