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I need to be able to concatenate one static column with a two-letter prefix, say XY, and then the auto-number. Easy, except that I need Airtable to add a variable quantity of zeros before the auto-number such that the output is a 7-digit string: XY00087


Currently auto-number does not offer fixed digit length…


I’d like this same formula to be future-proof, so that I can revise all past Job Numbers when we need to grow into an 8-digit Job Number schema.


All help appreciated!

Oh and one other bit… Our current Job Numbers, manually entered, are about 50 places above the auto-number in our base. So we also need a chunk of the formula that makes up for that difference.


So it’s: XY + Zeros + Auto-Number + 1 (or whatever)


Resolved!


Column 1, Title:

({Job Number - Auto} & " - ") & {Job Name}


Column 2, Record #:

Airtable’s native auto-number


Column 3, Legacy Numbering:

A manual checkbox to indicate that a given record requires an offset to maintain legacy numbering


Column 4, Manual #:

Our original, manual Job Numbers


Column 5, Offset:

{Manual #} - {Record #}


Column 6, Auto #:

IF({Legacy Numbering} > 0, {Record #} + Offset,{Record #} + 66)


Column 7, Prefix:

Static two-letter text field with default value


Column 8, Zeros:

IF({Auto #} < 10, “0000”,IF({Auto #} < 100, “000”,IF({Auto #} < 1000, “00”,IF({Auto #} < 10000, “0”,IF({Auto #} < 100000, “0”)))))


Column 9, Job Number:

(Prefix & Zeros) & {Auto #}


The 66 in Column 6 was the offset at the date we switched from manual to auto-numbering. And the extra IF statement in Column 8 is there for the day we cross 99999 jobs.


Resolved!


Column 1, Title:

({Job Number - Auto} & " - ") & {Job Name}


Column 2, Record #:

Airtable’s native auto-number


Column 3, Legacy Numbering:

A manual checkbox to indicate that a given record requires an offset to maintain legacy numbering


Column 4, Manual #:

Our original, manual Job Numbers


Column 5, Offset:

{Manual #} - {Record #}


Column 6, Auto #:

IF({Legacy Numbering} > 0, {Record #} + Offset,{Record #} + 66)


Column 7, Prefix:

Static two-letter text field with default value


Column 8, Zeros:

IF({Auto #} < 10, “0000”,IF({Auto #} < 100, “000”,IF({Auto #} < 1000, “00”,IF({Auto #} < 10000, “0”,IF({Auto #} < 100000, “0”)))))


Column 9, Job Number:

(Prefix & Zeros) & {Auto #}


The 66 in Column 6 was the offset at the date we switched from manual to auto-numbering. And the extra IF statement in Column 8 is there for the day we cross 99999 jobs.


Wow! Awesome, I’m looking for something like this. Thanks for sharing.


yup! wish they’d add a feature for fixing the number of digits 😦 this is great, but seriously complicated considering they can limit decimal significance and will round for you automatically.


wow thanks, nice workaround!


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