[AccessD] Hashing a name to build a unique number

I have run into several places where it is useful to build a user a fake SSN
if we don't know their ssn.  To this point I have just used "FAKE" & XXXXXXX
where XXX is a random number I just make up using rnd.

I think the idea would be more useful if I could design a hash algorithm
that builds the XXXX number out of say their first and last name.  That way
the number would be pseudorandom, yet I could build the same number if ever
called to again.

An example use - a client gets spreadsheets of members that they want to add
to their db.  The spreadsheet has the SSN of the person's SPOUSE, but not
the ssn of the person.  Obviously I don't have a field for spouses ssn
(though this is getting to be a big enough issue as to need one!)  If I
could generate a fake ssn with a decent hash that left me with a pretty good
random like number, I could place in the record being generated.  That
person would not come in again if I tried to import again later, or if
another spreadsheet contained that same person.

So, does anyone have such an algorithm for using text strings to generate
hash numbers?

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com

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