Here is a typical stored procedure to prefetch IDs from an ID table. You can modify it to meet your needs:

CREATE PROCEDURE sp_newid
    @tcKeyWord varchar(30)
AS
DECLARE @cId       varchar(11),
        @cNewId    varchar(11),
        @cIncProc  varchar(60),
	@nMaxLen   int
BEGIN TRANSACTION
SELECT @cId = Value,
       @cIncProc = IncrementProcedure,
       @nMaxLen = MaxLength
  FROM Id With (TabLockX,HOLDLOCK)
  WHERE keyname = @tcKeyWord
IF (@@rowcount = 1)
  BEGIN
    SELECT @cId = RTRIM(@cId)
    EXECUTE @cIncProc @cId, @nMaxLen, @cNewId OUTPUT
    UPDATE Id
      SET Value = @cNewId
      WHERE keyname = @tcKeyWord
    COMMIT TRANSACTION
  END
ELSE
  BEGIN
    SELECT @cId = 0
    ROLLBACK TRANSACTION
  END
-- Return the id as a cursor
SELECT iid = CAST(@cId AS INT)
GO

You would just call this using the ExecuteScalar method of a CommandObject in VB .NET.

Dim iID as Integer
iID = CType(oCmd.ExecuteScalar(), Integer)

>Hi,
>
>Need help some help.
>
>I need to generate and retreive an unique Transaction_id (int field) for different offices; each office would start off with say 1000000001 for Office One and Office Two would start off with 2000000001; etc. The field would be in the Office Table, one row for each office.
>
>The SQL database is on a remote server and the offices are located in different locations and they use the same SQL database on the remote server. The shared SQL Office Table has a row for each office with a field for the last transaction Id which will be incremented for each office transactions.
>
>Not sure how to update a row in a table with an int field and add +1 to it and return it to VB .net. I understand that ADO.Net is disjoined. In VFP I would simply retrieve the record, lock it, and if locked then update the field with id+1 and I would have the number I needed.
>
>What would I need to do to accomplish this in VB .net project? I need detail because I'am not very versed in SQL and Vb.net. I learning more every day.
>
>Thanks!!!
>Roland