Re: Variable-length Types

Tom,

> However, building a new type for this seems like overkill, because you'd
> also have to supply a set of functions and operators for the type.  It
> would be a lot less work just to provide a normalization function
>         interpret_phone_no(text) returns text
> which could be invoked explicitly, eg
>         insert into tab values (..., interpret_phone_no('5551212'), ...)
> or implicitly in ON INSERT and ON UPDATE triggers for the table.

Thanks.  You're probably right ... reformatting the phone numbers is
going to be a lot less work than a custom type.  Still, I can see the
usefulness of a custom type if one had the time to build the new library
of operators etc. For example, a special set of comparison operators for
phone numbers.   Maybe I'll hire somebody to do it :-)

I do think I'll use triggers for ON INSERT and ON UPDATE, because it
will space me having to remember to use the function every time I handle
a phone number field.  I'll post the PLSQL function after I've written
it.

-Josh Berkus


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