Avoiding Duplicates in same record

[ExcelBuffoon]

Hi Guys,

This is actually an Access question, but I'm hoping the same would apply to Excel, so if anyone knows Access they may be able to halp. If not, maybe I can use the same validation rule in Access as you may give me for Excel (if you get my drift!).

I want to avoid the same number being input in to a cell. I am barcode scanning serial numbers. I want to avoid the same serial number being put in the same cell twice.

In Access, I have a field for serial numbers. The scanner is set to carriage return after each S/N, and the field is set to go to a new line after each carriage return.

I am therefore trying to avoid this:

SN1234
SN1235
SN1236
SN1237
SN1237
SN1238

Thanks.

 

[healey21]

Have you thought of setting the properties of the field to not allow duplicates?

 

[ExcelBuffoon]

Have you thought of setting the properties of the field to not allow duplicates?

Thanks for the reply Healey21.

I have set these properties, but all it does is flag up if there is the same string in that field in the next record.

So, my database has a field called serial numbers. If I set a number in that field for record 1, then put the same number in record 2, it complains (which is correct). However, if I put the same serial number twice in the same field of the same record, it accepts it.

 

[ExcelBuffoon]

Does anyone else have any suggestions for this?

Thanks.