How do you know how to set up getnextnumber?

[CathyC]

Lets say your a new developer and working on adding onto an existing application. There is an Insert service to the [AddressBook] table, but it needs a value for the AddressId. Someone told you that it needs a nextnumber and to use the GetNextNumber service.

Here is how that service is set up:

image (41).png (13.35 KiB) Viewed 731 times

image (41).png (13.35 KiB) Viewed 731 times

After looking at that, you realize its also at the bottom of the insert service:

now this brings up some questions:

How would you know what to put in that service?

• What is type? there are no recommended values
• how do you know what the startfrom is? that seems like a dynamic number that should change

Since I have worked with these before I know this is how you set it up:

Now as the new developer on this app, you see an insert service and you might assume this location is where all records in the [AddressBook] originate from. Then you could decide that its up to you on how this nextnumber service should be configured and you take a design decision on the prefix you might decide the prefix is AD for Address.

But you dont realize that this location your working on it NOT the place where records originate. There is another in a batch job called something like "Customer Import" that has the prefix set to AB for Address Book.

What happens if you use 2 GetNextNumber services interchangeably like that and they have inconsistent data? Should there be a way for EASYProcess to show in the recommended values what could be put there so there is only 1 way to set up for the table addressbook?

[JustinVanRegenmorter]

Task 10529 has been created to improve the GetNextNumber service and feature.

[JustinVanRegenmorter]

As of DesignTime revision 2593 the GetNextNumber service now displays recommended values for the Type/Name service nodes.