[thelist] DB design question

[Mike H]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Hugh Blair" <hblair at hotfootmail.com>
To: <thelist at lists.evolt.org>
Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 10:10 PM
Subject: RE: [thelist] DB design question



> > -----Original Message-----
> >  On Behalf Of Mike H
> >
> > So...the  complete ZIP code is unique ***  DOWN TO  *** the apartment
> > number, which should also be part of the address when needed.
>
> Not in all cases. My building has 12 apartments and we all
> share the same "+4" ZIP.

Respectfully, that is what I said. Please see the emphasised quote above.

> If my building was a Condo (units
> that are bought and sold vs. rented) then using the "+4" ZIP
> would still not give you a one-of-a-kind address.

If your condos share one entrance they still need unit (apartment) numbers, right? If condos/townhouses/X-plexes have seperate
entrances then they should have unique street addresses. Same goes for trailer courts, etc. They might have unit (lot) numbers, but
seperate entrances *should* equal unique addresses.

In the past these addresses were often designated by letters -- 123A, 123B, etc. -- but the post office has been doing war on this
type of address for years. Also on 123 1/2, 123-Rear, etc. The ultimate goal is to make all addressing numeric so it can be coded by
a fixed-length number, not an indeterminate alphanumeric string. (BTW -- addresses are NOT assigned by the USPS. They are assigned
by the prevailing civic authority -- town, city, county, building managers, etc.)

Still, ZIP+4+2, combined with unit numbers as needed, should give us unique addresses for all properties.

I suspect that a four-digit unit number (one-hundred "floors" per sector/segment at one-hundred apartments per each "floor") would
be suffficient for all cases, thus a 15 digit index -- ZIP+4+2+unit -- could uniquely identify all property locations.

Again...should...depending on the actions of the local civic authority in cleaning up their addresses. (The USPS actually uses the
word "sanitize" 8^) ).

In any event, fifteen-place alphanumeric strings, at worst, should yeild unique indexes which are based on "natural properties"
(actual location coded as complete ZIP + unit number) of the real estate and which could be made up of information available from
the complete address string.

Gosh, I hope this makes sense. I'm going to get some sleep now.


Mike H
ironmike at inav.net