Generating a reference number in Tape

Reference numbers tend to become important quite quickly once a workflow starts to grow up.

In Tape there are a few ways to approach them, depending on what the reference is meant to do.

Option 1: use the built-in unique ID field

Tape provides a unique number field inside an app. This is the fastest route when you need something unique and do not need heavy formatting.

It works well when:

• the number only needs to be unique within one app
• zero padding is not important
• the prefix and suffix rules are simple

There are limits, though. You cannot pad it into a format like 0001, and the field can be less helpful when reused in other contexts.

Option 2: use the record ID deliberately

Tape also exposes a record ID that is globally unique across the platform. The important thing to remember is that it arrives as text, so if you want to use it as a number in calculations you should convert it:

parseInt(@record_id, 10)

That makes it usable when you need a guaranteed unique source value but do not mind the larger number.

Option 3: build your own formatted reference

For client-facing or project-facing workflows, a custom format is often clearer. A common pattern is:

1. a text prefix
2. the current year
3. a padded unique value

For example:

`PRJ${date_fns.format(@Created on, 'yy')}${String(@Unique ID).padStart(3, '0')}`

That gives you a reference like PRJ25001, which is easier to scan, easier to quote in emails, and easier to recognise in dashboards or related records.

Breaking the format down

If the one-line version feels too dense, the same logic is easier to reason about when broken into parts:

const text = 'PRJ';
const year = date_fns.format(@Created on, 'yy');
const paddedUnique = String(@Unique ID).padStart(3, '0');

`${text}${year}${paddedUnique}`

The important point is not the exact prefix. It is that the format stays readable enough for people to trust and use in day-to-day work.

Practical advice

Reference numbers do more than provide uniqueness. They help people navigate the system faster, especially when records move through different views, emails, and operational handovers.

If the reference is going to appear in the title too, the next useful step is building a clearer record title in Tape.