Re: Relative record number

[Pete Hall <peteh@xxxxxxxxxx>]

At 23:24 12/26/1998 -0500, Booth Martin wrote:
>I have four files:
> FileF is an unkeyed name & address physical file.
> FileFL1 is a logical over FileF based upon first name.
> FileFL2 is a logical over FileF based upon last name
> FileFL3 is a logical over FileF based upon phone number
>In the past I would have generated a unique number and created a new field 
>for the ID number to act as a unique key for the file set.  Now though I am 

You could use RRN, but all updates should be done using the unique key, so
that would mean retrieving the RRN and updating the physical each time.
You'll generally be OK if you specify UNIQUE for one of the logicals and
specify all three fields in descending order of importance for each one
(FN/LN/PN, LN/FN/PN, PN/LN/FN). This would have the added advantage of
displaying identical values in a recognizable sequence. You might have
trouble with George Foreman's kids or may Daryl, Daryl and his other
brother though. I'd still vote for a generic key as a tie breaker, much
like a customer number or vendor number. Maybe you could call it address
number (JDE joke <yuk, yuk>).

Pete Hall
peteh@inwave.com
http://www.inwave.com/~peteh
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