Create an auto numbering column
Autonumber columns automatically generate alphanumeric strings whenever they're created. You can customize the format of these columns and then rely on the system to generate matching values that automatically fill them in.
Autonumber columns appear in the Text category of columns when you create a new column. You can also activate autonumber functionality in an existing text column by opening the column and selecting Autonumber in the datatype dropdown. Similarly, auto number functionality can also be disabled at any time by opening the column and selecting text as the type in the Data type drop-down list.
Autonumber columns offer many options for the type of autogenerated number that you want to generate. You can create any of the following autonumber type columns.
String prefixed number - The most common auto number format is a simple string prefixed number. When this type is selected, the autonumber consists of an automatically incrementing number with an optional string constant prefix. For example, a string prefixed number with the prefix of Contoso would generate records such as Contoso-1000, Contoso-1001, Contoso-1002, and so on.
Date prefixed number - Another common auto number format is a date prefixed number. When this type is selected, the auto number consists of an automatically incrementing number with a formatted date prefix. The date portion of the record reflects the current date and time at which the record was created in UTC time. For example, a date prefixed number would generate records such as 2019-26-02-1000, 2019-27-02-1000, 2019-28-02-1000, and so on, depending on the current date and selected date format.
Custom - For more advanced makers with specific use cases, you can fully customize the desired format of an autonumber column. The format might consist of string constants, automatically incrementing numbers, formatted dates, or random alphanumeric sequences. For detailed information about how to define custom formats, see AutoNumberFormat options.
Seeding a starting value
You can also set a seed value so you can start autonumbering at any value. The seed value of an autonumber column is the starting number that is used for the number portion of the format. For example, if you want an autonumber column to generate records such as Contoso-1000, Contoso-1001, Contoso-1002, and so on, then the desired seed value is 1000 because that is the value that your number sequence starts with. Autonumber columns have a default seed value of 1000, but you can set a custom seed value if you want.
