Auto-number records by contract
Ulrich Weißensteiner
I need a smart way to auto-number records for contracts and contract items. Each contract has one or more contract items, and these items should be numbered by contract, starting from 1. When I add an item, the item number should be auto-filled with the next number, similar to sub-items but without the limitations of the sub-item field type.
Y
YES Integrations
Ulrich Weißensteiner why not create another table?
U
Uli
YES Integrations,
a separate table for each contract? That will hit the limits of SmartSuite. What I want to achieve is a "Items" table with some smart auto numbering - but without the use of any automation (because of potential race conditions). Example:
Y
YES Integrations
Uli no, one table for contracts and one table for contract items, each contract item linked to a contract. You could group contract items by contract to get a view like your screenshot
Jon Darbyshire
Hey Ulrich Weißensteiner, thanks for your feedback! Following up on this:
- Can you provide more details on the 'limitations of the sub-item field type' that you mentioned?
- What happens when a contract item is removed? Should the numbering be adjusted accordingly?
- Do you need the auto-numbering to be visible and editable by the users, or should it be handled entirely in the background?
U
Uli
Jon Darbyshire,
- sub-items are very handy, but lack some important features:
- some field types are missing (formula, lookup, due date, ...)
- not searchable (think of questions like: who ordered product xy?)
- yes, numbering should be adjusted
- I would say: handled in background but visible
As a workaround you can add some helper fields and an automation to calculate your own numbering, but this way you will always risk race conditions.