RE: Area code > 4 digits???

Hello list members,

Is the US phone-number specified as area-code and phone number and then
always the same length? In Germany we had a similar problem after the
reunion with the former German Democratic Republic. The phone numbers used
to be maximal 13 digits long. The area code had a maximum of 5 digits. Now
it could be 6 digits. We could handle this because the town were so small,
that the local access number in the area was then very short. The total
length of 13 has not been used up. The last digit of the area-code moved to
the first digit of the access-number.

We had the real problem after reunification with the ZIP-codes. They used
to be 4 digits long. Now they are 5 long and a whole bunch of programs had
to be changed to adress this. Rumours said that it may take a while and
then the ZIP-code for the european union might be launched with 7 digits.
Therefore we had changed the files to 7 char-fields.

Having all these experiences I must say it is always a hazardous game to
play with fixed things in a country. You can always get to export your
goods. If this happens you're stuck with your old field-length.

Just my 5 cents worth

 Chris
 calling from Kassel, Germany
 (yes I'm back again)
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