Automatically generating sample numbers in the field

[EvanTwelker]

My group (6-8 geologists) collects data in the field using handheld computers running ArcGIS for Mobile, synchronized with a file geodatabase each evening.
Each data point is given a unique ID number, and any samples associated with that point are linked to it using this ID. We currently type the ID numbers in by hand, and we make quite a few typos which cause problems for us down the road (for example, collecting two different data points and giving them the same unique ID number).
The unique ID needs to be known in the field so that samples can be labeled appropriately. The current scheme is alphanumeric, e.g. 14ET001 (the year, the geologist's initials, the sequential data point number) but it doesn't have to be that way necessarily.
Seems like others would have encountered this same issue. Is there a way to make our unique ID field auto-populate with the next number in the sequence? Is there a way to warn or prevent people from recording the same unique ID twice?
Is this something that the current version of ArcGIS/ArcGIS for Mobile can do? Any ideas for workarounds?
Thanks!

[AkhilParujanwala]

Hi,

I also have a similar data point and sampling unique ID.
We also face similar problems as you mentioned.

You are able to program the unique ID, but making it truly unique is the hard part.

My sample ID comprises of the following elements.
Organization Acronym, Date, computer name, employee ID (initials + day of birth), sample type, and sample number.
NEPRD-20140228-RC_01-AP28-AIR-001

We put the computer name to into the Sample ID to decrease the likelihood of a duplicate ID. We use the day the person was born as part of the initials to decrease the likelihood of a duplicate ID.

To automate this in ArcGIS mobile you will need to code this.
When users open my app, they are presented with a form to fill out some information regarding who they are.
First and last name, organization, and employee ID.
The date, computer name, sample type are already known.
The sample number is automatically increase upon collecting the same type of sample.

There is sample code online and on the forums.

The sampling ID was the last thing I had to program for my sampling module in my application and it was the hardest component to finalize. It is definitely possible but it takes some time, but it is definitely worth it to decrease user input and increase the speed of data collection.

[EvanTwelker]

Thanks for the reply. Now that I know this is possible, I'll feel better about acquiring the skills to make it happen!
Much appreciated,
Evan