Merge "User Last Name" and "City Name."

[max ny]

Dear FileMaker Gurus:

I was required to merge "User Last Name" and "City Name," into a 10-gigit "User ID." I will take the first 5 letters of each. If any one is less than 5, "-" will be filled in, instead.

Please help on the Field Definition and Calculation!

Appreciate it!

Max NY

[mr_vodka]

Left (User Last Name & "-----"; 5) & Left (City Name & "-----"; 5) &

[Lee Smith]

A client ID should be unique.

Your calculation would be [color:blue]Left (User_Last _Name & "---" ; 5 ) & Left ( City_Name & "___"; 5) would allow duplicates.

Try a name and city as

Chan, San Francisco

Chandler, San Franciso

or

Smith, Lee, Sacramento

Smith, Tom, Sacramento

I came back to add this and I see two others have also given the same basic calculation.

What I was going to add, is thsi Client ID wouldn't even be a good Duplication calculation.

HTH

Lee

Edited January 10, 2007 by Guest
duplication

[Raybaudi]

Case(

not IsEmpty ( User Last Name ) and not IsEmpty ( City Name ) ; Left ( User Last Name & "-----" ; 5 ) & Left ( City Name & "-----" ; 5 ) ;

""

)

[aldipalo]

I agree with all that using UserLastNAme and User City is not a unique field and is destined for problems. Especially in large cities like New York. If you must combine user name and some other identifier try lastname and phone or lastname and zip or lastname and a serial number which ultimately would be best. Unless you have a VERY SMALL group of users and don't expect to ever grow you will be kicking yourself in the future.

[max ny]

Thanks all of you!

Yes! Merging "User Last Name" and "City Name" is really prone to "duplicate" problem!

Max NY