Each site may have several different formats of accession numbers which may be valid now, or which were valid at some time in the past. Vernon CMS allows for each of these formats to be set up within the system, each with its own complex rules. This is usually something that can be done for you when the system is supplied.
The formats you set up will be used by the system to validate accession numbers during data entry.
Each format provides rules for the different segments of the accession number, which can be set to only allow specified patterns of keyboard characters. There are also optional characters defined as the separators of the segments, called segment delimiters.
For example, the accession number 1990.123.a could be described as having three segments: a year, a sequence number and a part. Each of these is separated by a period.
There are several different pattern match settings that the system allows. These can be used for checking the keystrokes entered into each individual segment of the accession number. The system will automatically display an error message if the accession number entered in the Accession Number field doesn't match any of the settings specified for your site.
As well as pattern match settings, other aspects of a format can be recorded in the Accession Number Format record. The Department which uses the format and the date period for which the format is valid can also be recorded and used as validation tools.
The system will display an Accession Number Error message if the accession number entered fails pattern matching, or does not match the Department and/or Accession Date for which that format is valid.
See the field help on Alphanumeric Segments, Accession Number Type, Case Sensitivity, Defaulting On, Description, Double Ranges, Duplicate Checking, Max Length, Pattern, Pre parse, Priority, Range Delimiters, Ranges, Required and Segment Delimiters.
