Sill trying to figure out input processing - need help

[Al]

I am still trying to figure out an input processing problem.  I had asked in one of the other areas but could not get any answers, (or no one had the answer).  Just to make it simple if I can figure out the answer for one field I can figure out the answer for the other field myself.

I hope that I can explain this correctly, maybe the way I phrased it confused everyone.  To make it as simple as possible I am trying to "check dupe" a field as I try to record it.  Simply put each "record" has a field with an assigned number that can range from 1 to 99999, and that number is entered when I enter a new person into the database.  No two numbers can be entered twice, so if one person's assigned number is say 100 the database will not allow me to enter another person with an assigned number of 100 in the field and also not let me record it by pressing the "escape" key and adding a new record.

What I need to happen when I press escape is for the cursor to move the number field and to get the message on screen that the edit failed at cursor position.  This will let me know that I already have another person in the database with an assigned number of 100 so either the number is wrong or the person in in the database already.

Hope I've made the clear.  If someone can help me with this I would appreciate it.  It seems that I can not create a lookup to do this, though at one time I had one but do not know how to recreate this.

Thanks for any possible help!

Al

[Lauren]

It seems like this is about what you are asking about?
http://www.fptech.com/Products/Docs/fpmanhtm/how_do_i/continue_designing/obtaining_a_unique_number.htm