I combine the sequential key conter in a database

with a control code. The counter consists of 9

digits and the tenth digit represents the control

code. In some cases the control code can have the

value of 10. In this case the key is not suitable

and the program has to look for the next key.

Now if I open my window it reads the key from the

%sk% record in the dict.table. Even after the

cursor has left the key prompt the %sk% record is

not updated. However when I open the same window

a second time the new window correctly selects the

next available key.

Until now I could not find where AREV stores the

used keys as long as the assompanying record is not

written to the table.

When my program has to select a new key in a network

surrounding i should look whether an another user

is using the new key.

Can anybody help and tell me where all used keys

are stored before the new records are written to

the databases? thank you very much!

w.Hollenhorst

W,

I asked something similar recently,

on the OpenInsight Specific list.

I got some help, but there was no plain

and simple solution.

See the following posting (and the replies):

Subject:  Sequence counter conflict in multiuser apps
Category: OpenInsight Specific 
Author:   Oystein Reigem
Date:     10/22/97 07:57 AM

- Oystein -

The %SK% is a Dict entry within your data table.

To access it with any subroutine you need to

Open Dict.Table name and use %SK% FIELD.

You can Edit Dict.Tablename %SK% to display

this value at any time for the table called

Tablename or whatever.

We read this value then increment it within our

subroutines then write the incremented value

into this field.

In this manner we are able to control the access

to be restricted to the person opening the

window at that time rather than relying upon the

arev system to control that counter.

We had to do that because the locking over

networks of the %SK% does not work!

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Kevin at KPW

email [email protected]

If I understand your question, you are asking how ARev keeps track of active but unsaved keys using %SK%. The ARev routine does not store these keys anywhere. What happens is that it first retrieves the current value in the %SK% record, and checks to see if the record with that key is currently locked. If so, it increments and tries again. So, if you have several windows open to that file, each will have a record locked even if not saved. As many people will tell you, this method is simplistic and can cause problems.

I've seen quite a few posts stating that the %SK% logic is either buggy or problematic. However, I have not had problems with it myself except a situation where the value somehow became absurdly low due to some sort of corruption. Then, the next person to use it has a very long wait while the system finds the next unused number. I'm curious though what other sorts of problems there are with it.

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