If your users are connected to the same network
Only users connected to the same network can share an Autonumber.
If your users are connected to the same network, just make sure that you store your data folder in a location accessible to everyone. The data folder location is set under Options>Preferences. If all your users point to that same location, they will be incrementing the same number.
IMPORTANT NOTE: In such a scenario, it might be wise to disable the display prompt screen option, as one user might leave the prompt open long enough for another user to have the time to pick the same number (the number is only incremented when you dismiss the prompt dialog box).
If your users are not connected to the same network (satellite databases)
If your users are not connected to the same network they cannot share the same automatically incremented number. How can you then create a unique number? There are a couple of ways:
- You can give them difference a different initial number: for instance, John starts at 100000 and Bob at 200000
- Using the syntax editor, you can insert the initials of the record manager field so that the number starts or ends with a distinct identifier.