How to Generate Auto Number in VB.net and MS Access Database

How to Generate Auto Number in VB.net and MS Access Database

In this lesson, I’m going to show you how to create a system that How to Generate Auto Number in VB.net using visual basic and Microsoft access as our database.

We can use this auto number to identify a unique record in a table, and it should only one auto number field is allowed in each table this will serve as primary key during run time.

In our situation, we will generate auto number by this mechanism start with the start and increment with the increment value.

It means that from the start value of the auto number, the system will get the last end value then the system will get the increment value and add it to the last ended value to create a new auto number.

After completing this course the output of this application it looks like as shown below.

What is Visual Basic’s purpose?

The third-generation programming language was created to aid developers in the creation of Windows applications. It has a programming environment that allows programmers to write code in.exe or executable files.

They can also utilize it to create in-house front-end solutions for interacting with huge databases. Because the language allows for continuing changes, you can keep coding and revising your work as needed.

However, there are some limits to the Microsoft Visual Basic download. If you want to make applications that take a long time to process, this software isn’t for you.

That implies you won’t be able to use VB to create games or large apps because the system’s graphic interface requires a lot of memory and space.

Furthermore, the language is limited to Microsoft and does not support other operating systems.

What are the most important characteristics of Visual Basic?

Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Download, unlike other programming languages, allows for speedier app creation. It has string processing capabilities and is compatible with C++, MFC, and F#.

Multi-targeting and the Windows Presentation Framework are also supported by the system, allowing developers to create a variety of Windows apps, desktop tools, metro-style programs, and hardware drivers.

To start building this application, add two Group box, five labels, two buttons and a Datagridview,

Object			Property		Settings
Groupbox1		text			Generate Autonumber
Groupbox2		text			list of Autonumbers
Label1			text			Autonumber code:
Label2			text			Autonumber Name:
Label3			text			Append Char:
Label4			text			Autonumber Start:
Label5			text			Increment Value:
Button1		        Name			btngenerate
			Text			Generate
Button2		        Name			btncancel
			Text 			Cancel

Then, arrange the entire object same with the final output shown above.

Next, let’s add functionality to our application. Right the form, then click “view code” and add the following code.

'declare conn as connection and it will now a new connection because
'it is equal to Getconnection Function
Dim con As OleDb.OleDbConnection = jokenconn()
'Represents an SQL statement or stored procedure to execute against a data source.
Dim cmd As New OleDb.OleDbCommand
Dim da As New OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter

Public Function jokenconn() As OleDb.OleDbConnection
Return New OleDb.OleDbConnection("Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" & Application.StartupPath & "\autonumber.mdb")
End Function

Then, double click the form and add the following code:
This code will simply load all the records from the database table “tblauto” into datagridview.

Try
con.Open()
With cmd
.Connection = con
.CommandText = "Select * from tblauto"
End With
Dim publictable As New DataTable

'Gets or sets a Transact-SQL statement or stored procedure used
'to select records in the data source.
da.SelectCommand = cmd
da.Fill(publictable)
'fill the datagridview by getting fron dt
DataGridView1.DataSource = publictable
'hide the first column of datagridview
DataGridView1.Columns(0).Visible = False

Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message, MsgBoxStyle.Exclamation)
End Try
con.Close()
da.Dispose()

To insert new auto number in our database, double click our “btgenerate” button, add the following code:

Dim result As Integer
Try
con.Open()
With cmd
.Connection = con
.CommandText = "Insert into tblauto(autocode,autoname,appendchar,autostart,incrementvalue) " & _
" Values('" & txtcode.Text & "', '" & txtname.Text & "','" & txtchar.Text & "', " & _
" '" & txtstart.Text & "','" & txtinc.Text & "')"
result = cmd.ExecuteNonQuery
If result = 0 Then
MsgBox("No Data has been Inserted!")
Else
MsgBox("New Autonumber is created succesfully!")
End If
End With
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message, MsgBoxStyle.Information)

End Try
con.Close()

And you can now test your application by pressing “F5”.

You can download the Source Code here! autonumber

Technology stack and requirements

To run this VB.NET project, you need the following on your development machine:

• Visual Studio 2019 or later. The free Community Edition is enough for building, debugging, and running the project.
• .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher. Most Windows 10 and 11 systems have it preinstalled through Windows Update.
• MySQL Server 8.0 or MSSQL Express 2019. Choose whichever your capstone panel prefers; both work with VB.NET data adapters.
• MySQL Connector/NET or SqlClient library. Add via NuGet Package Manager inside Visual Studio.
• Crystal Reports (optional). Required only if the project generates printable reports; install the runtime redistributable.

Installing the source code

The download link contains a ZIP archive with the full solution. Extract and set up in five steps:

1. Extract the archive to a folder outside Program Files (avoids permission issues).
2. Open the .sln file in Visual Studio. It loads the full solution with all forms and modules.
3. Restore NuGet packages. Right-click the solution then Restore NuGet Packages if prompted.
4. Import the database. Locate the .sql file in the archive and import via phpMyAdmin (MySQL) or SQL Server Management Studio.
5. Update the connection string in App.config or module code to match your local database name, user, and password.

How to use this project for your BSIT capstone

This VB.NET project maps cleanly to standard BSIT capstone documentation. Suggested chapter alignment:

• Chapter 1 (Introduction). Discuss the problem the system solves in real-world context. Cite Philippine business or academic use cases where a manual process could be replaced.
• Chapter 2 (Review of Related Literature). Compare this system’s features against 5-10 similar published projects. Cite journals like IJERT or IEEE Access for academic-standard sources.
• Chapter 3 (Methodology). Include Use Case Diagram, Data Flow Diagram, Entity Relationship Diagram, and Activity Diagram covering all major workflows in the system.
• Chapter 4 (Results and Discussion). Screenshot each module of the running system with a caption explaining what data it processes and which user role interacts with it.
• Chapter 5 (Conclusion and Recommendations). Identify features that could be added in a Version 2, such as web dashboard, mobile app, or REST API export.

Modules typical of How to Generate Auto Number

• Master data. CRUD forms for the primary entities the system manages, with search and filter.
• Transaction processing. Data entry forms for the day-to-day operations the system automates.
• Reports. Formatted printable output summarizing activity per day, per user, or per category.
• User management. Login with role-based permissions (Admin, Encoder, Viewer).
• Backup and restore. Export database to a .sql or .bak file and restore when needed.

Common enhancements for capstone review

• Modernize the UI. Add Bunifu or Guna UI controls for a more polished, modern appearance.
• Add printable receipts. Integrate a printer preview form with page-setup options.
• Multi-user concurrency. Ensure the database handles simultaneous writes without lost-update errors.
• Web version. Rewrite the front-end in ASP.NET Core or React for a modern deployment path.

Joken E. Villanueva

Founder & Lead Developer at PIES IT Solution

Founder of PIES Information Technology Solutions, a software company building production-grade applications for institutions across the Philippines. Over 8 years of hands-on full-stack development experience, currently leading the development of ClinicAI, an AI-powered clinic management platform.

Expertise: PHP · MySQL · JavaScript · AI Integration · SaaS Architecture · VB.NET · Database Design · Capstone Documentation · Java
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