# MODIFICATIONS added to effect the
# order number feature!!!

####################################
#    Sub get_order_number          #
####################################

sub get_order_number
  local ($index_path) = $sc_order_counter_path;
  local (%index_table) = ();
  %index_table = &get_index ($index_path);
  return %index_table;
  }

####################################
#  Sub get_index                   #
####################################

sub get_index {
  local ($index_path) = @_;
  my @db_row;
  my @db_definition;
  my $line='';

  open(INDEXVIRTUAL, "$index_path") ||
        &file_open_error("$index_path","Read
                   Index",__VIRTUAL__,__LINE__);
  flock INDEXVIRTUAL, $EXCLUSIVE;
  $line = ;
     #print "$line
";
  @db_definition = split(/\|/,$line);
  while (!eof(INDEXVIRTUAL))
     {
      $line = ;
      @db_row = split(/\|/,$line);
      $index_table{$db_row[1]} = $db_row[2];
     #print  "$db_row[1],$db_row[2]
";
}
   flock INDEXVIRTUAL, $UNLOCK;
   close (INDEXVIRTUAL);
return %index_table;
} #end of get_index subroutine


####################################
#     Sub update_order_number      #
####################################

sub update_order_number {
local (%index_table) = @_;
local ($index_path) = $sc_order_counter_path;
&update_index ($index_path,%index_table);
}

####################################
#  Sub update_index                #
####################################

sub update_index
{
local ($index_path,%index_table) = @_;
local (@db_row);
my $display_line='';
my $newline='';
my $line='';

  open (INDEXVIRTUAL, "$index_path") ||
  &file_open_error("$index_path","Reading
  Index",__VIRTUAL__,__LINE__);

  $line = ;
  $newline = $line;

  while ()
     {
      @db_row = ();
      $line = $_;
      @db_row = split(/\|/,$line);
      $db_row[2] = $index_table{$db_row[1]};
      $display_line = join "|",@db_row;
      $newline .= $display_line;
      #print "$display_line
";
}
close INDEXVIRTUAL;
open (INDEXVIRTUAL, ">$index_path") ||
&file_open_error("$index_path","Writing
Index",__VIRTUAL__,__LINE__);
flock INDEXVIRTUAL, $EXCLUSIVE;
print INDEXVIRTUAL $newline;
flock INDEXVIRTUAL, $UNLOCK;
close INDEXVIRTUAL;

} #end of update_index_counters subroutine

# END of MODIFICATIONS!!!

Then simply use:

($order_number) = &get_order_number;

To fill the $order_number variable.

Updating the index is also required. The returned value is used and incremented in the calling method before the call is made to the update_order_number subroutine.