help for starting SQL Express Manager 2005

Can anyone advise how I access SQL Express Manager ?

After starting Express Manager (preview 1) and selecting "Windows Authentication" I am asked for "Server Instance" What is meant by server Instance ?
Or with "SQL Server authentication" option selected I'm asked for name and passsword as well.

Is this something I ovelooked setting up when installing SQL 2005 Express ? I dont remember setting any passwords.

WHich option should I be going for ?

Have read accompanying documentation and looked on web but have not found a guide on this.

RECEIVED THIS REPLY TO MY QUERY ON ANOTHER THREAD

Hi,

SQL Server Express default instance which is the instance that gets created when you do not specify a name is installed as SQLExpress.

In Windows Authentication the current interactive Windows User is used for logging on so you just need to supply the instance name as .\SQLExpress or
MachineName\SQLExpress.

SQL Express also supports SQL Authentication. In case you want to take that route please go through the following post:
http://forums.microsoft.com/msdn/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=62998
(Scrolll down to see the thread where I have provided the steps.)

Regards,
Vikram

.\SQLExpress - worked for me for the Windows Authentication - 0oseven

Help for Newbie: How to create an autonumber

Hi guys/gals. An intro, I've just pick up some database basic skills and currently doing a simple project.

I really need advise on how do I create a field that can generate autonumbering for eg. scenario

There are 3 types of service_id like CTXXXX, GPXXXX, and STXXXX (where XXXX are running numbers). What I need is to have the XXXX auto generate and running. Also if I were to delete an old record for example CT0033, the latest number eg. CT1111 will not be changed to cover up for the missing CT0033.

I apologize if the description is a bit improper, but I'm new to this. Really appreciate anyone that can help. Thanks!! :oI'd suggest the IDENTITY property when you create the table. You'll have to "decorate" the resulting number with the letters you need, but that's trivial.

-PatP|||my money's on access

and what do you mean by basic skills?

can you spell dba?

Is this homework?|||Sarcasm, Brett? How unlike you!

NOT!

:)

If all three of these services are stored in the same table, then you will run into difficulties with IDENTITY unless you don't mind each service being numbered consecutively. IDENTITY will autonumber for the entire table, but not for individual services within the table.

Your best bet is to store the last ID number used for each service in a separate table, and then use a trigger on your data table that looks up the last code used, increments it by 1, and creates the new services codes.

But this is not simple SQL.

An alternative would be to denormalize your data and store the services in separate tables each with their own IDENTITY property, but this is frowned upon for many good reasons.

Actually, your best course of action would be to drop the idea of creating these codes in the first place, since such pseudo-surrogate keys violate several principles of database application design. That is why they are difficult to code.