Re: Generalised approach to storing address details

Bernard Peek <bap_at_shrdlu.com> wrote:

[snip]

>In which case I suggest that you save yourself a lot of effort and keep
>things as simple as possible. Store addresses as Line1, Line2 etc.
>That's not only the easiest format to use it's also the most useful.

     Not if you are doing bulk mailings. A standard format helps when cleaning for duplicates.

>When someone writes an address down they will write it in the right
>format for their own postal system. If you try to be clever and analyse
>it into named fields you then have to have an algorithm that puts the
>named fields back in the same order that they started in, two complex
>and completely unnecessary operations.

     It depends. For most use of addresses, yes, but bulk mailings are a niche that needs more.

[snip]

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Computerese Irregular Verb Conjugation:

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     He/She has prejudices.