Re: just curious - Number of Parms(numeric zip codes and other crimes against nature)

Its amazing what "holes" one discovers when one starts dealing internationally  
 :)


Jim Langston wrote:

> Yes, that actually makes very good sense.  I also got bitten by the zip code 
>character issue.
>
> I had written an application for a retail store, full inventory, invoice, 
>a/r, a/p type system.  I
> had made zip codes as 5 numeric.  Everything was fine.  Til 6 months later 
>someone calls
> up from Canada for us to ship them something.  Ooops.  They use a 9X9 X9X 
>type of
> zip code format.  Not only is their characters in there, but it's longer too. 
> We were able to
> kludge that one order, put the zipcode in the address 2 line, but then I had 
>to go through all
> my programs and change them from numeric to character and increase the 
>length..
> Luckily because I had written this thing in Clipper (compiled dBase) once I 
>changed the
> database I didn't have to recompile all the programs because it used dynamic 
>variable
> declaration (declared at run time, not compile time).  Was a pain changing 
>the screens and
> printouts where they showed up though.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jim Langston
>
> Joel Fritz wrote:
>
> > I was taught a very simple rule on when to use a numeric--"Will it be used
> > in computations; does it represent a quantity; or does it show order?  If
> > yes to any of the above, use a number, otherwise use a character variable."
> > I think we could debate the order criterion at length, although numbers are
> > pretty darned easy to increment.
> >
> > I've seen ZIP codes stored as numeric because "It takes up less space," or
> > "It's easier to format ZIP +4 with edit words."  Same thing with phone
> > numbers.  The real fun is using Query or RPG to join files by ZIP code when
> > you have character in one and numeric in the other.
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Gary Guthrie [mailto:GaryGuthrie@home.com]
> > > Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2000 9:48 PM
> > > To: RPG400-L@midrange.com
> > > Subject: Re: just curious - Number of Parms
> > >
> > >
> > >>
> > > Limiting the conversation momentarily to the USA, Zip Codes often are
> > > defined as numeric. In fact, in the not so distant past, they were
> > > defined as 5 digits in length. Of course, 9 is a more
> > > appropriate length
> > > now. But, all of a sudden your company decides to do business
> > > outside of
> > > the USA -- hmm, now we need alpha characters, too! And,
> > > there's nothing
> > > that prevents USA standards to change to allow alpha characters.
> > >
> > > This having been said, I submit that it's best to leave numeric
> > > definitions to those entities that indicate quantitative data
> > > and avoid
> > > the type of problems mentioned.
> > >
> > > Thoughts?
> > >
> > > Gary Guthrie
> > > REAL Solutions Technical Support
> > > NEWS/400 Technical Editor
>
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