To customize your case number format, go to "Settings > General Case Settings" and look for the "Case Number Format" setting.
The case number can be formatted with a predefined set of variables listed below:
{{Case.year_created_2}} - Year Created (2-Digit)
{{Case.year_created_4}} - Year Created (4-Digit)
{{Case.year_created_month}} - Month Created
{{Case.case_type_tag}} - Case Type Tag
{{Case.series_number}} - Case Series Number (Increments for each new case)
{{Case.series_instance}} - Case Instance (Increments for each "reopen" in a series)
The case number can also consist of other letters and special characters, such as (-) dashes or (_) underscores.
Note: The variables shown above must be used with exact formatting, and are case sensitive.
Example:
This format:
{{Case.year_created_4}}-{{Case.year_created_month}}-{{Case.series_number}}-{{Case.series_instance}}
would result in a case number that looks similar to this:
2011-08-00123-01
A Note about Reopens
If a case with the above case number were to be reopened, it would maintain the same case series number, but increase its series instance, like so:
2011-08-00123-02
If you use reopens, be sure that you always include the series number in your case number format. If you do not, there will be no way to distinguish between the two numbers when looking at them on a list or in a report.