Leading zeroes being stripped out of table entries?

[Pat Dools]

Hello, I have a lookup table contains two fields: one for 'labsite number'
and another for 'labsite name'. The 'labsite numbers' all start w/ 2 zeroes
(e.g., '001', '002', etc.). I have 'labsite numbers' defined in my table as
a Number- Long Integer, w/ an Input Mask of '999'. When I enter in '001',
and tab over to the next field, then Access changes it to '1'.

I need the leading zeroes to stay, but Access is not letting them. How do I
do this?

Thx,

 

[Paul Overway]

You probably have the field defined as a number...it needs to be text.

 

[John Vinson]

Hello, I have a lookup table contains two fields: one for 'labsite number'
and another for 'labsite name'. The 'labsite numbers' all start w/ 2 zeroes
(e.g., '001', '002', etc.). I have 'labsite numbers' defined in my table as
a Number- Long Integer, w/ an Input Mask of '999'. When I enter in '001',
and tab over to the next field, then Access changes it to '1'.

I need the leading zeroes to stay, but Access is not letting them. How do I
do this?

Use a Text type field.

The number 1 and the number 0000000001 and the number 001 are THE SAME
NUMBER.

The text strings "1" and " 1" and "001" are three different text
strings.

If you won't be adding, subtracting, dividing or multiplying your
Labsite Numbers (which I suspect you won't!) then they aren't really
"numbers" - they are identifiers; and if these identifiers happen to
consist of numeric characters, just use a Text field with an input
mask of

000

to require that only digits can be stored in the text field.

John W. Vinson[MVP]