Native Auto-Increment / Serial Number Column (Static, Non-Computed)

[nvavna]

Native Auto-Increment / Serial Number Column (Static, Non-Computed)

Summary
Users need a native Auto-Incrementing Integer column type (1, 2, 3...) that assigns a permanent, sequential number to every new row upon creation.
Crucial Requirement: This must be a Basic Column (stored in the database), NOT a Computed column. Current workarounds are technically impossible to use with Glide Big Tables.

Current Problem

• The "Joined List" Limit: The standard workaround (creating a Joined List of all Row IDs -> Find Index) fails completely at scale. Creating a text string containing 25,000+ or 100,000+ Row IDs is impossible.
• Big Table Incompatibility: While these workarounds might work for small tables (500 rows), they are fundamentally incompatible with Big Tables designed for high-volume data.
• Human Communication Gap: The standard Row ID is a complex alphanumeric string (e.g., Kj7-L9p...). In professional workflows (Finance, Logistics), employees cannot communicate using these hashes. They need to say "Check Order #1054".

Examples/Scenarios

• Financial Reconciliation: A company has a General Ledger with 25,000+ transactions. Accountant A finds a discrepancy and needs to tell Accountant B: "Check Line #12405, the debit doesn't match."
  • Using Row ID is impossible for verbal communication.
  • Using Joined List calculation crashes the app at this volume.
• Ticket Systems: Simple sequential ticketing (Ticket #1, Ticket #2).

Why This Matters

• Performance & Stability: A native stored integer is zero-latency. Computed columns trying to scan 100k rows cause timeouts.
• Enterprise Usability: This is a basic database feature (SQL AUTO_INCREMENT) essential for large-scale data management where users need to reference specific rows by a simple number.

Suggested UX

• New Column Type: Add "Auto Number" or "Serial ID" to the Basic Column types.
• Settings:
  • Start Value: (e.g., Start at 1).
  • Prefix (Optional): (e.g., "INV-" results in INV-1001).
• Behavior: When a new row is added, Glide automatically assigns the next available integer. This value is read-only and static.