RE: Table design question

> Tino Cremidis wrote: > > > > Don: > > > > Once I worked with a pharmacy system that created a key based on > > three caracters from the last name, three characters from > > the first name, a number based on a very simple hashing algoritm > > based on the full name and for duplicates a sequence number. > > Bit complex when we have SERIAL. Could not agree more. The use of serial is always recomended even encouraged. Since the serial solution was already answered, I was simply offering another way of doing it without having to resort to a compose index that spans three columns. > > <snip> > > I thought this approach went out with the mainframes. With QBE the user > doesn't have to remember a key. Also the code is simpler. > > 2c. > > Cheers, > -- > Mark. Right on the money!. This system was migrated from a mainframe to use Informix. The problem with QBE for names (with online <7.30) is that you have to account for upper and lower case and how the data was input/inserted. Also you will need to index the first/last name columns. Not trying to start a useless discussion. Tino