From: jeffshoaf@alltel.net   
      
   If you're only going to have 500 records, the three-field key is   
   probably OK, but best practice would be to have a meaningless integer   
   key field with a secondary index on Last Name and First Name, another on   
   Organization, maybe one on State, and possibly others depending on how   
   you're going to use the data.   
      
   If you're going to have any secondary indexes at all, the compound key   
   you propose could be problematic; I say "could be" because I used   
   compound keys extensively in some of my early Paradox databases w/o too   
   much issue. If you add any tables with relations to your address table,   
   the compound key becomes much more of an issue since you'd need to   
   include all three fields in any other related table.   
      
      
   Delbert wrote:   
   > FOR PARADOX 8   
   >   
   > I'm making a name and address database (no phone) with a dozen  fields; there   
   > would be about 500 records.  The sequence is:  Last   
   > Name, First Name, Organization, Street, City, etc.  Field type is A   
   >  for all fields.  I'm assigning a key to Last Name and First Name;    
   Organization   
   > is not a good bet for a duplicate-breaker (thus having   
   > a key ) because very few records will use Organization.    I could   
   > assign a key to Street, but Organization is between First Name and Street,   
   > putting Street out of sequence.   
   >   
   > I could have the sequence as Last Name, First Name, Street, Organization--and   
   > assign a key to the first three.  The mailing label Expert would allow me   
   > to put Street and Organizaiton where they   
   >  belong for  mailing labels.   
   >   
   > Please comment.   
      
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