Re: identity columns

John wrote:

> However - let's assume I *could* get an email address for each and every employee.

> This is the heart of my question - if I use email address - and then that email

> address changes (as they sometimes do) then I'm stuck with foreign keys all over

> the database that I have to change. Does that make sense?

Why not leave it up to the customer (in this case the employee of the partner company) to create an identifier for him/her? That is what often seems to be used on discussion boards and e-shops.

In the case you have described there seems to be no absolute need for identification in the sens that you need to allow only certain customers. Your main problem seems to be how to contain a consistent history of customer records.

What you need is an login dialog where the customer identifies himself. If it is the first time or if the identification fails (perhaps he forgot his password or customer number), you need to supply a combination of apparent facts (=e-mail) and individual facts (=password).

This approach will not garantee that a customer will not appear with several identities. But hopefully his identity will remain constant long enough for each order.

jp Received on Sat Jan 12 2002 - 17:06:23 CET