You can define the number sequences (known as "Number Series") that you want be used when generating Order Numbers, Invoice Numbers, Transaction Numbers and so on. If you have not defined a Number Series for a particular register, the sequence will begin at 1 and continue consecutively. For example, if you have not defined a Number Series for Invoices, the first Invoice that you enter will carry the Invoice Number 1, the second one will be Number 2, and so on. If you change the sequence at any time, the sequence will continue from that point. For example, if you change the Number of the first Invoice from 1 to 1000 before you save it for the first time, the next Invoice will be given the Number 1001.

For many registers, you can define a Number Series, or several Number Series that are to run concurrently. For example, the Number Series - Invoices setting allows you to define Number Series for Invoices. Defining a Number Series involves specifying the first and last Numbers and the period during which the Number Series can be used. The period can be open-ended.

Having defined Number Series for a particular register, each new record in that register will by default take its Number from the first current Number Series in the setting. When entering a record, you will be able to change to the first unused number in any other current Number Series using 'Paste Special'.

Depending on the register, if you have defined several number sequences in the relevant Number Series setting, you can specify here in the Number Series Defaults setting which sequence is to be used as the default when you create new records. A different sequence will be used if the current user has a Number Series specified on the 'Number Series' card of their record in the Person register.

To open the Number Series Defaults setting, first ensure you are in the System module using the [Switch Module] button in the Navigation Centre. Then, if you are using Windows or macOS, click the [Settings] button, also in the Navigation Centre. The 'Settings' list opens: double-click 'Number Series Defaults'. If you are using iOS or Android, select 'Settings' from the Tools menu (with 'wrench' icon) and tap 'Number Series Defaults' in the 'Settings' list. Click [Save] (Windows/macOS) or tap √ (iOS/Android) to save any changes and close, or click the close box or tap < to close without saving changes.

In a single-user system, you will need to quit and restart (or log in again using the button in the Navigation Centre) for the changes you make in this setting to take effect. In a client-server system, you will only be able to make a change in this setting if you are the only user logged in. You will then need to quit and restart (or log in again) for the change to take effect, but there will be no need to restart the server.

The illustration below shows a Number Series - Invoices setting in which we have defined three number sequences for Invoices for the year 2023:

If we leave the Number Series Defaults setting empty (and the 'Number Series' card in every Person record empty as well), new Invoices entered during 2023 will by default be numbered according to the first valid Number Series in the list, 98000 - 98999 (in a client-server system, an Invoice will not be given a Number until you save it for the first time). When entering a particular Invoice, it will be possible to choose a number from one of the other two sequences if necessary.

If we want to use a different Number Series as the overall default, we can choose one in the Number Series Defaults setting. In the illustration below, we have specified that the second sequence (980000 - 980999) is to be used as the overall default in standard Invoices. Enter the first number in the sequence (980000 in this example) in the Invoices field. We have also specified that we want to use the third sequence for Interest Invoices:

If we want an individual user to use a specific sequence, we can choose their Number Series on the 'Number Series card of their Person record. This sequence will be used instead of the one in the Number Series Defaults setting, but only for Invoices created by this user. Again, enter the first number in the sequence in the Inv No. field:

Take care to specify a number in each field that falls in a recognised and current Number Series. If you specify a number that is not in a Number Series, you will not be able to enter new records in the affected register. The implications of this are quite far reaching: for example, Invoices will not be created by any of the remote Invoice creation functions (e.g. from Sales Orders). This situation will be most common in cases where Number Series are tied to a period such as a calendar year and that period ends.

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