Re: Zip Code Format Mask

Aaron V wrote:

> "Daniel Morgan" <damorgan_at_exxesolutions.com> wrote in message
> news:3ECAB1F9.BC0A7C8_at_exxesolutions.com...
> > Aaron V wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I'm using Forms 6i and I'm trying to set up a format mask to accept
> zip
> > > codes as 5 digit or 9 digit (99999-9999). I only want the first 5
> digits to
> > > be required. The last 4 are optional, but I want to have trailing zeros
> if
> > > omitted. I tried FM99999"-"0000 , which works fine if all 9 digits
> are
> > > entered, but with only five entered, it puts leading zeros, instead of
> > > trailing, and because of fill mode, allows less than the five digits
> > > required. Oh, does anyone know if zip codes ever have leading zero(s)?
> (I'd
> > > have to change the first 9 to a 0). Or if you've encountered this in the
> > > past and written a WHEN-VALIDATE-ITEM trigger I'd appreciate a look at
> it.
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance,
> > >
> > > AaronV
> >
> > Zip codes are not numbers they are strings in the same way that telephone
> and
> > social security numbers are strings not numbers. Only use numeric fields
> when
> > performing math and for surrogate keys.
> >
> > --
> > Daniel Morgan
> > http://www.outreach.washington.edu/extinfo/certprog/oad/oad_crs.asp
> > damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
> > (replace 'x' with a 'u' to reply)
> >
> >
> Yes, I agree the field for zip code should be stored as a character
> string, but only in the back-end,
> the database. I was under the impression the front end handled most of the
> data cleansing, and unless I'm
> mistaken there are no zip codes that contain alphabetic characters.

>


>     I figured this was probably a common data input, so someone had

>

US Zip codes contain no letters or special characters but they do often have leading zeros such as:
00602 which is aguada, puerto rico

[Quoted] Often, however, we find ourselves storing Canadian postal codes that do contain letters.

Either way numeric datababase fields not only don't work well ... they don't work.

--
Daniel Morgan
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/extinfo/certprog/oad/oad_crs.asp
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with a 'u' to reply)