Phone Number Clean Up

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I have inherited a db which contains multiple styles of formats within the
Telephone fields. I have updated the Input Mask to !\(999") "000\-0000;0;_,
but is there an easy way to convert the existing problem data to the new
format?

To make the problem more difficult, one table uses Telephone as the PK,
though I am preparing to create a new PK, and set Telephone to Unique.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. It's only a thousand, or so, records;
but I certainly don't want to do this by hand...

Thanks, in advance.

Sharkbyte
 
I do not recommend input masks for phone numbers or zip codes. The first time
you try to enter the data for someone outside of the USA, there's a very good
chance that you won't like the result. My phone number in England was
something like 0869 233-123 and the postal code was OX6 9FA. I'd only worry
about gross errors like 6185-55-5555 or 622221. Otherwise just let people
type them in as they wish.

I also inherited a database that uses telephone numbers as the primary key.
It was even designed by a 'professional' data modeler! Ever time there's an
area code change, sadness.

However if you can get referential integrity working in the relationship
window between that table and any others with the telephone number as the FK,
you can enable Cascade Update which will change the data in both tables at
once.
 
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