Support

Is there a way I can designation a "starting number" for the member ID field? For example, if I am setting up a new membership database and I would like our member ID numbers to begin at 500.

Unfortunately it is not possible to designate a starting number for "member ID" field. "member ID" is a system field and it is generated automatically by the system.

 

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Denys Zlobin
Helpful Apricot
http://www.wildapricot.com

I understand that it is system generated and not editable, and that makes sense. What I don't like is that there is not a logical starting point or sequence (from my organization's standpoint). I have been testing and providing demos to our BOD and the most recent member ID numbers was 368928. They aren't even consecutive for our organization. I would like a member ID field that provides consecutive numbers for our members and allows the admin to choose a starting point. So that our member ID numbers could start with 500 (for example) and run through 750. We want to actually use the member ID field for our organization, and using the current member ID would be confusing.

We understand your point and we will consider it for future enhancements.

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Dmitry Buterin, Chief Apricot

Thank you.

Hello!

Could you elaborate what is actual reason to have a well controlled Member ID?

Are you going to use it for some member grouping?

Or may be to get an idea who has registered earlier or later?

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Vassily, Wild Apricot team

Isn't there another active thread on this topic?

Can't find it right quick, but seems to me the discussion on the other thread was that a system generated "member id" might be better called a "record number" and let the member ID be things that make sense to the organization - or that might already be in place in existing systems

For example, my "member id" in our existing system is "gypse" - it can not be duplicated within the system - has to be unique for that field - but is "user friendly"

I think you are talking about ad-hoc username/userid and this is different from a numeric auto-assigned memberID.

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Dmitry Buterin, Chief Apricot

ok - I think I see the difference -

member id - system record number - auto generated
. . . so is there any reason for the user to ever see this or know about this?

user id - selected by user, as long as it is unique
. . . can be used in place of email for signing in, so that more than one person can sign in with the same email address

QUESTION, as I will be loading a new database in as soon as friendly url's are available -
when I set up the database fields for upload, do I ignire the member id?  does it just generate itself as it creates each record?  (And go ahead and load the user ids as a custom field for future use?)

yes, ignore memberif for import, it will be added automatically.

userid - yes you can add as custom field. 

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Dmitry Buterin, Chief Apricot

Hi

I have created a nickname field in my WA db - how can I ensure this will be like the member ID in so much as every members nickname will be unique.

Is there a particular field name I need to use?

Thanks
Jo

Jo,

There is no way to ensure uniqueness of custom field value now, sorry. 

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Dmitry Buterin, Chief Apricot

Thanks for the quick reply, perhaps you could consider this for a future release.

No further reply necessary.

Thanks
 

Sorry for the delay in my responding. 

In our case we have not been using a member ID for our membership (yet), but over the past year have had a growing need for one and will probably start assigning one to each member. For now, I will have to do this myself as the admin when I "approve" applications. Our situation is unique - our membership is based around an annual charity bicycle ride for fallen law enforcement officers. Our membership has grown to the point where our medical staff can't possibly know every member and so they need us to start using member ID numbers so that if, god forbid, we have several riders taken out in an accident they can quickly identify everyone involved and cross-reference our medical records. We have 7 chapters around the country and the medical staff would like to be able to designate a range of numbers for each chapter so they can better track who belongs with who. I can maintain this numbering system myself, but it would be nice if I could set up a field that would automate it as applications are accepted.