From: noJimspam@omitThisHarganonline.com   
      
   On 21 Mar 2007 22:39:06 -0500, Delbert wrote:   
      
   > 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.   
      
   You wouldn't want to do business with my Dad and me. Our names are   
   identical. And at one time we had the same address.   
      
   Also, people change their names, yet remain the same person. Women do this   
   when they get married (50% of the population) and do it again when they get   
   divorced (25% of the population).   
      
   Longint keys are strongly recommended. Basically, you just give everyone a   
   unique, arbitrary ID number for internal use. This number never changes,   
   ever, for any reason whatsoever. The first person is 1, the second person   
   is 2, and so forth. Using longints allows you to put more than 33,000   
   people in your database. Ya never know.   
      
      
   Jim Hargan   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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