Re: renumbering the db

["Mark D. Szuchman" <szuchman>]

On the subject of re-numbering, closing up gaps in numbering, etc..... I 
realize that this message may be entering into the realm of mental states, 
personal organizational habits, little (that is, non-lethal neuroses), 
personality traits... things like that. But I do so at my own risk. So, 
here it goes:

I understand the annoyance of exact duplicates (Aldo's point about the 
record number being exactly the same obtains, but, still, the record's 
older version does not appear in the Table View anyway). And to delete an 
apparent duplicate, it's certainly only one click's worth of effort, plus 
the confirmation's OK (I don't know why Maureen believes it to take four or 
five steps). But before *cahnging* record numbers, has anyone considered 
that the record number *may* be tied to the Ibidem cites in one's research 
documents. That is, does anyone know if there is a functional link between 
the cites in the document and the record number in the db?  When you 
re-index,for example, the record number originally assigned to each record 
remains unaltered. Furtheromre, in all db's there has to be one field that 
contains a unique identifier for each record (e.g., in many db's dealing 
with people in the US, the social security number is the unique 
identifier). Mess around with the ssn and Lord help you. Mess around with 
the record number and. ...

Now, I'm not saying that I know for certain the nature of the record 
number's function or its link between documents and cites. This is 
something on which NB-NY might want to provide feedback. But I do know that 
before I give in to my own little personality traits associated with a 
sense of order, or my dash of OCD, I would *not* change a record number.
Mark

At 12:52 PM 1/1/03 -0600, you wrote:
> On the subject of db's
>
> I have only a single db in Ibid but the numbering is out of sequence...so lets
> have say I have 349 entries and the first is numbered #1 and the last #400.
> How do I redo the sequence so there are no skips??
>
> Also, is there an easier way to delete an entry than the current 4 or 5 steps
> needed to delete an entry??  thanks
>
> Maureen
>
> Maureen Kelly
> kellybs
> Boston College