[Year 12 IT Apps] Sorting text and number

[Selina Dennis]

The biggest issue with setting the data type of a phone number (or postcode)
field to an integer is that you cannot have leading zeroes in (most)
database systems when the data type is numeric - it will trim it. The only
time a numeric field is acceptable for a postcode would be if you have a
specific range that does not require Northern Territory postcodes - but even
then, this would be an unnecessary limitation to your database.

Overall, I was displeased with the exam as I don't believe it will
effectively filter out the "good" students from the "excellent" students; it
lacked the depth required to do so. I ended up with the feeling that you
didn't even need to take the course to pass - many answers simply required
the application of common sense. 

(I must admit, I'm bitter that the exam had an excessive amount of
Excel-based questions - that my Year 7s would be able to answer - and very
little database "theory" questions, and none (unless I missed it) on the
PSM).

Regards,

Selina Dennis
Strathmore Secondary College

-----Original Message-----
From: itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:itapps-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Keith Richardson
Sent: Wednesday, 14 November 2007 5:49 PM
To: List ITA
Subject: [Year 12 IT Apps] Sorting text and number

I have carried out a little test to verify (or disprove) some of the things
people have been saying here re number versus text as field type in
database.
Attached please find the small database that demonstrates that one can just
as easily put into ascending order both text and number with the same
result.
Keith
Keith Richardson
ITA List Moderator
Head of ICT, Leibler Yavneh College
Elsternwick
Ph: 03.9528.4911
k.richardson at yavneh.vic.edu.au