Generating Unique Sequential Numbers

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 23, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Sometimes you may need Excel to generate a unique sequential number. For instance, you could be using Excel to create your invoices or statements, and you need an invoice or statement number that hasn't been used before. This, of course, implies that Excel needs to remember the number from one session to the next.

If you need to use Excel in this way, consider downloading the following free template file:

http://www.ozgrid.com/download/InvoiceAutoNumber.zip

Offered by the folks at OzGrid, this is a zipped Excel template that will increment an invoice number every time it is opened. Any workbooks created from the template will have a new invoice number that is unique for that workbook (and will not later change).

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (1965) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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