Tony
The only problem I had with your method is that it introduces leading zeros
which may not be desirable. However I conceed that this is a (very?) small
point.
As regards PrefRef v SMR codes, we have decided not to use our old SMR codes
as the PrefRef, as I explained in my last email.
Think I'll keep quite from now on!
Ingrid Peckham,
Southampton City SMR,
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-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Pettitt [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 08 October 2001 12:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Exegesis - printing in sorted SMR number order
Ingrid
Maybe I am missing the point, but the best way of sorting a report is to
tell the report to do the sorting work (see my forum message dated 3/10/01).
This avoids recoding the PrefRef, building Sort Tables, using the User2
field etc
In relation to your use of the PrefRef field: Remember that SMR codes should
be entered on the Status/Score Tab, and then one of the Status types can be
displayed as the PrefRef by setting the value in the Primary field to YES in
the MonStatusLUT table.
The double click on the User 1 has been added to the HBSMR wish list.
Regards
Tony
-----Original Message-----
From: Peckham, Ingrid [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2001 10:59
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Exegesis - printing in sorted SMR number order
Tony
I agree that using my User2 field for sorting purposes isn't ideal -
eventually I'm bound to want to use it for something else. And I would
support a double click on the user-defined fields (can we have it on
External Ref No on the Event form too?).
On the Monument form, my PrefRef field is the same as the MonUID field, as
we've decided to abandon our old SMR numbering system once everything's on
the computer (I'm putting the SMR number on the status/score tab). On the
Event form, I've used the External Ref No field for our SOU site codes, the
data being in the form SOU 1, SOU 12, SOU 1008. So in my case, altering the
INI file as you suggest (assuming I've understood) wouldn't help. But it may
be useful for other SMRs.
An alternative way of sorting numerically might be to have a Sort Table. In
my case for instance, the table would contain a field for the External Ref
No (event site code) with it's letter prefix and another field for the
purely numeric version of this number. Such a table could be generated using
the Excel number series creating facility, and the Access update query
facility (or could it be done automatically from the Event table by
programming?). Reports could then be run off a query combining the Sort
Table and Event table. (I haven't tried this yet so it may be complete
nonsense!)
Ingrid
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Pettitt [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 04 October 2001 15:15
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Exegesis - printing in sorted SMR number order
Ingrid
The suggestion from Amanda is fine (it does take advantage of the only
fields which can be safely changed to a different data type - ie User1 and
User2 fields - unfortunately there have been requests for User1 and User2
filters on the Index forms and also double click search functionality on the
Detail forms - both would fail if users change the User1 and User2 data
types!). It does have a weakness - ie new sites added to the system will
not have values in the User1 or 2 field, unless smr officers enter the
number twice (once in PrefRef and once in the User field).
My second suggestion was to alter the reports - this will work for all new
records and means that you do not have to enter PrefRefs using a fixed
format.
In answer to your question of:
"I don't know why numeric sorting on the UID, External Ref No and PrefRef
fields isn't built into the forms and indexes, let alone the reports, as
this seems to me one of the obvious ways we'd want to arrange and view data"
The original system specification did not require sorting by PrefRef.
There are many coding systems used by SMRs, some require alphabetic
characters, therefore the field had to be text.
Sorting a text field into the logical order is impossible, unless the exact
format of the ref is known at the development stage, or the refs have a
fixed number of characters. As far as I am aware SMR PrefRef formats
include:
1, 2, 10, 11 etc
1.1, 1.2, 10, 11.1 etc
1.1.1, 1.1.2, 10.1, 11 etc
X23, X24, XY31 etc
for which no one method of sorting will yield the desired results! For SMRs
with a purely numeric PrefRef there may be a temptation to criticise, but
the product was designed to handle all users requirements.
On a positive note, maybe we could add an INI file variable which states
whether the PrefRef is numeric, the Index and reports could then act
accordingly sorting automatically. If the suggestions above are not
considered acceptable, then I would be happy to put the INI option on the
wish list.
Regards
Tony
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