[mso] Re: Access Data Type Definition :VSMail mx1
- From: "Jim Pettit" <j_e_pettit@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 05:04:00 -0800
James--
I agree with most of what you wrote, and probably should have appended my
solution to Christine's problem with the statement that if leading zeroes
are needed, the text data type should definitely be used. But I have to take
mild exception to your statement "A good, general rule of thumb is to not
use the number data type if your data will not be calculated." On the
contrary, numerical data types aren't just for calculations. Number fields
index faster than text data fields (Access tracks indexes internally with
hidden number fields for that reason); they sort correctly, whereas numbers
stored as text don't (instead of the proper sort order, text fields with
numbers in them will sort as 1, 10, 100, 2, 20, 200, and so on); and numbers
have the added benefit of not using as much space (a Long Integer data type
will use 2 bytes per field for a 6-digit number, whereas the Text field will
use 6 bytes; if every possible 6-digit number is used, the table with the
6-digit text field will be around 2.5 megabytes larger than the same table
with a 6-digit number)
--Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of James LaBorde
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 16:20 PM
To: mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [mso] Re: Access Data Type Definition :VSMail mx1
Christine,
The direction you want to go depends on your data. If your data will =
never be used in a calculation, I would recommend using Glenda's =
approach making the field text and create a validation rule and input =
mask. If your numbers need to be numbers and will never have leading =
zeroes, you will want to take Jim's approach and make them number fields =
and create validation rules based on that. A good, general rule of =
thumb is to not use the number data type if your data will not be =
calculated. Number fields have problems when storing raw data if you =
need things like leading zeroes.
James
-----Original Message-----
From: mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of McDonald, Christine, Ms, DCAA
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 1:42 PM
To: mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [mso] Access Data Type Definition :VSMail mx1
I'm creating a new database. There are two fields that are 5 and 6
characters each and the text should be all numbers for each, no letters,
no special characters. Is there a way to set the data type for these
two fields to a maximum of 5 and 6 characters each and all numbers?
Thanks,
Christine McDonald, CPA
Technical Specialist
Western Regional Office
Information Technology Division (RSA-4)
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