Randomizing table information

[Cheer]

We are trying to create a sample database for one of our volunteers to
work with to develop some reports that we need. Some of the tables
contain sensitive client information - no problem with the volunteer
seeing it, it's just that we'd rather not let the information leave
our organization, and the only time the volunteer can work on this is
at home after work.

This is a legacy database, and it contains many, many tables, and no
one is completely sure even where all of the client data is stored in
it any more.

After we copy the db, might someone have a routine that would iterate
through all of the tables, "randomize" the information, and then put
it back into the table? It would be nice if it would follow the field
validation requirements too (if that makes sense), but I'll take
whatever I can get.

If you're guessing that I'm a complete Access newbie, you'd be
correct. Thanks in advance for any guidance you experts can
provide.

 

[Wayne Morgan]

What do you mean by "randomizing" the information? What is it specifically
that you're trying to make random?

 

[Joseph Meehan]

We are trying to create a sample database for one of our volunteers to
work with to develop some reports that we need. Some of the tables
contain sensitive client information - no problem with the volunteer
seeing it, it's just that we'd rather not let the information leave
our organization, and the only time the volunteer can work on this is
at home after work.

This is a legacy database, and it contains many, many tables, and no
one is completely sure even where all of the client data is stored in
it any more.

After we copy the db, might someone have a routine that would iterate
through all of the tables, "randomize" the information, and then put
it back into the table? It would be nice if it would follow the field
validation requirements too (if that makes sense), but I'll take
whatever I can get.

If you're guessing that I'm a complete Access newbie, you'd be
correct. Thanks in advance for any guidance you experts can
provide.

Do you mean encrypt the data?

I suggest you start by reading
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];207793

Access security is a great feature, but it is, by nature a complex product
with a very steep learning curve. Properly used it offers very safe
versatile protection and control. However a simple mistake can easily lock
you out of your database, which might require the paid services of a
professional to help you get back in.

Practice on some copies to make sure you know what you are doing.

 

[Cheer]

What do you mean by "randomizing" the information? What is it specifically
that you're trying to make random?

Maybe an example will help. Let's say I have a table composed of
fields that contain contact information, like so:

FirstName: Jane
LastName: Doe
Add1: 123 Main St.
Add2: Apt. 456
City: Anywhere
State: CA
PC: 12345

Using the excellent, but poorly seeded RNG in my head, I randomize the
information above, like so:

FirstName: Uhjkl <-- Must contain only alpha characters
LastName: Abyyry <-- ditto
Add1: 99 Jjhjq St. <-- Must contain 1-6 numbers, followed by 1-20
alpha, then to that concatenate "St." or "Ave."
Add2: # 62 <-- Prepend "#" or "Apt." then random digits (1-4 of them)
City: Juwyywh <-- 1-20 alpha chars. only
State: PP <-- 2 alphas
PC: 09800 <-- 5 numbers

This way I get information that is in no way tied to the original
individual, but that still satisfies some rudimentary input rules. I
can then "practice" on this database, but still get records out that
meet my query criteria.

Sorry if I was initially imprecise.

 

[Cheer]

We are trying to create a sample database for one of our volunteers to
work with to develop some reports that we need. Some of the tables
contain sensitive client information - no problem with the volunteer
seeing it, it's just that we'd rather not let the information leave
our organization, and the only time the volunteer can work on this is
at home after work.

This is a legacy database, and it contains many, many tables, and no
one is completely sure even where all of the client data is stored in
it any more.

After we copy the db, might someone have a routine that would iterate
through all of the tables, "randomize" the information, and then put
it back into the table? It would be nice if it would follow the field
validation requirements too (if that makes sense), but I'll take
whatever I can get.

If you're guessing that I'm a complete Access newbie, you'd be
correct. Thanks in advance for any guidance you experts can
provide.

Do you mean encrypt the data?

I suggest you start by reading
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];207793

Access security is a great feature, but it is, by nature a complex product
with a very steep learning curve. Properly used it offers very safe
versatile protection and control. However a simple mistake can easily lock
you out of your database, which might require the paid services of a
professional to help you get back in.

Practice on some copies to make sure you know what you are doing.

Joseph, see my response to Wayne. I'm not encrypting, just seeking a
way to generate "garbage" for my copied database, but it has to be
"good garbage" in that it satisfies some input validation rules.

Thanks for any help you can provide now that I stated my question a
bit better (I hope).

 

[Wayne Morgan]

The best way would be to make a data supply database. Make a table full of
first names, one of last names, one of house numbers, one of street numbers,
etc. You could then use this to supply data. You could fill these tables
using update queries based on field in databases you currently have. After
adding 2 or 3 databases worth of data to it, it won't mean much to the real
world.

 

[Wayne Morgan]

I said Update queries, they should be Append queries.