[AccessD] Re: Number vs text data type

How do you indicate to pad with a space(s) in Format()?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Robert L.
> Stewart
> Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 12:17 PM
> To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
> Subject: [AccessD] Re: Number vs text data type
> 
> 
> List,
> 
> Simple rule...
> 
> If you are not going to do math with it, store it as text,
> except when using it as a dumb primary key/foreign key.
> 
> All of the reason cited in the posts are correct.  But
> if you need a list of numbers stored as text sorted
> properly, just pad it with 0 or space on the left side.
> Everything will be sorted correctly.
> 
> The reason the keys should stay numeric is the speed of
> the search for a record.  It is a few milliseconds faster.
> 
> Robert
> 
> At 12:00 PM 10/13/2003 -0500, you wrote:
> >Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 08:47:57 -0700
> >From: "Charlotte Foust" <cfoust at infostatsystems.com>
> >Subject: RE: [AccessD] Number vs text data type
> >To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving"
> >         <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> >Message-ID:
> >         
> <E61FC1D4B1918244905B113C680BEA8631236E at infoserver01.infostat.local>
> >Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"
> >
> >Same holds true for social security numbers in the US and for telephone
> >numbers everywhere.  There are good reasons NOT to use numbers for some
> >kinds of numeric data, which is probably where the argument comes from
> >in the first place, that and the old approach of squeezing everything
> >into the smallest possible datatype to shave storage bytes.
> >
> >Charlotte Foust
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Susan Harkins [mailto:ssharkins at bellsouth.net]
> >Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 7:32 AM
> >To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> >Subject: Re: [AccessD] Number vs text data type
> >
> >
> >What about Zip Codes, etc... what possible purpose would you have for
> >treating such an entry as a number?
> >
> >I'm afraid this isn't old school -- it's still very alive and with us.
> >
> >Susan H.
> >
> >
> > > That sounds like one of my co-workers who comes from the
> > > old school early-days C and COBOL programming. He makes everything
> > > text unless an actual calculation must be performed, even when that
> > > doesn't necessarily make sense in context. I believe that if its a
> > > number it should be treated as a number unless there is a very
> > > compelling reason not to, for all of the reasons given so far and
> > > probably others I haven't thought of. To me, logic tells
> > > you that if the data is numeric you should use a number
> > > data type, using text just muddies things up. As far as a
> > > number field needing "additional resources", especially
> > > for calculations, that makes no sense at all to me. Some
> > > number types may take additional storage space as compared
> > > to holding the same digit characters in a text type, and
> > > that can become an issue for DBAs when they are working
> > > under short drive space conditions. Other than, I can't
> > > think of a resource reason.
> > >
> > > Ron
> 
> 
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