How to generate the Unique ID for inventory database?

[Xing]

Hi dear folks,
I’m trying to build the unique ID for all the items that in our company, I’m thinking about how this request will be working through airtable, for instance, is there any way that I can build the ID like XXYYY001–XXYYY999, or anything like UUID?

Actually, I’m learning how to build the database, so any suggestion help, I want to learn how you will plan the data on the inventory.

thanks.

[Jason_Gillman]

Best bet would be to use a formula field for the “Primary Key”, and then either concat multiple fields that would comprise your product identifier, or just use the Record ID field.

[Jeremy_Oglesby]

You can use the Alpha-Numeric system @W_Vann_Hall and I built in this base:

Airtable

AlphaNumeric Incrementor - Airtable

Explore the "AlphaNumeric Incrementor" base on Airtable.

(copy the base into your workspace to access the formulas, and then copy the fields into the base you want to use the ID’s in)

This system will produce AlphaNumeric ID’s AA001 - ZZ999, skipping any ID’s that end in “000”, which will give you a net 675,324 unique ID’s to use.

[Xing]

hi dear @Jeremy_Oglesby,
thank you, I indeed looked your base, unfortunately, it is not fit my needs, for example,
I need
18 (year) + ZWA (three abbreviation alphabetical letters from another field) + Incrementor
should be:
18ZWA1

However, in the end, your “Incrementor” can be a problem, because on your base, if I delete a record, it can not come back.
for example, on your base, if I have 5 records;
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, when I delete “3”, and trying to add a new record, it will be 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
can that “4” and “5” fill up the absence of “3”, to be the new “3”, “4”?

Maybe this is so complicated.

[sam_taylor]

Hi @Xing -

Rather than delete a record, why not simply have a single select field that is “live” or “dead” or something like that.

So you still have those records in your database, but they are only used in whatever the end view is if they are “live”.