From: delllz@comcast.net   
      
   How would "a meaningless integer key" work?   
      
   Separately, from my previous experience (about 12 years) making mailing labels   
   on the same general database, I never had two   
   identical names, such as John W. Smith.  Also, to keep things   
   simple, should there now be two identical John W. Smiths, one of   
   them could be set off with a lack of a period after the W   or by some similar   
   inconspicuous trick.   
      
   Jeff Shoaf  wrote:   
   >The key must be the first field(s) in the table. I'd recommend using a   
   >meaningless integer key.   
   >   
   >Delbert wrote:   
   >> "I could assign a key to Street, but Organization is between First Name   
   and   
   >> Street, putting Street out of sequence."  Jeff, would a key field out   
   >> of sequence work?   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> Jeff Shoaf  wrote:   
   >>> 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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