dash/hyphen issue

[Chet]

I am working on cleaning up a database making more uniform fields and have an
issue with hyphens.

Some of the records show "Logistics - Transaction" and the hyphen is shorter
than some of the other hyphens for other "Logistics - Transaction" records.
Since the data is usually uploaded from Excel and from differnt sources, I
can't find a single error source.

I know how to replace characters but in this case I can't find two different
hyphen sizes (the hyphen on the -/_ key is the same as that on the numberic
keypad) to use in the "replace" function.

Since we are talking about thousands of records, cut and paste won't work.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[KARL DEWEY]

Are they truly different?
Make sure there are no extra spaces --
Replace(Replace([YourField], " ", " "), " ", " ")

Check the ASCII code to see like this --
Asc(Mid(Replace(Replace([YourField], " ", " "), " ", " "),
InStr(Replace(Replace([YourField], " ", " "), " ", " "), " ")+1, 1))

NOTE -- Above not tested

 

[Chet]

Truly different:

Logistics - Storage
Logistics – Storage

Since I'm no where near an expert in Access, your suggestion is way above my
head. Should I just get an expert in here?

Are they truly different?
Make sure there are no extra spaces --
Replace(Replace([YourField], " ", " "), " ", " ")

Check the ASCII code to see like this --
Asc(Mid(Replace(Replace([YourField], " ", " "), " ", " "),
InStr(Replace(Replace([YourField], " ", " "), " ", " "), " ")+1, 1))

NOTE -- Above not tested


--
Build a little, test a little.

I am working on cleaning up a database making more uniform fields and have an
issue with hyphens.

Some of the records show "Logistics - Transaction" and the hyphen is shorter
than some of the other hyphens for other "Logistics - Transaction" records.
Since the data is usually uploaded from Excel and from differnt sources, I
can't find a single error source.

I know how to replace characters but in this case I can't find two different
hyphen sizes (the hyphen on the -/_ key is the same as that on the numberic
keypad) to use in the "replace" function.

Since we are talking about thousands of records, cut and paste won't work.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Dirk Goldgar]

Truly different:

Logistics - Storage

In that string, a hyphen is used: ASCII code 45.

Logistics – Storage

In that string, an "en dash" is used: ASCII code 150.

 

[John W. Vinson]

In that string, a hyphen is used: ASCII code 45.


In that string, an "en dash" is used: ASCII code 150.

in which case, an Update query updating the field to

Replace([fieldname], Chr(150), Chr(45))

with a criterion of

LIKE "*" & Chr(150) & "*"

would fix them all in one swell foop.