From: Martijn Tonies
Date: July 29 2005 2:28pm
Subject: Re: Phone Number Column Advice
List-Archive: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql/187088
Message-Id: <046001c59449$d103fc70$3802a8c0@martijnws>
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Hi,

> I am waffling on how to handle a column of phone numbers. I am not sure
what is common practice on the database side. Talking to some co-workers,
some feel it would be fine to use a varchar and others think there should be
3 integer columns in the database for each number?
>
> Anyone have advice or know of best-practice on this subject?

Well, there was a long thread on this last week.

Anyway, given that a phone-number IS NOT an integer (eg: leading zeros),
it simply cannot be stored into a numerical column.

Also, these days, you might have character-based phone-numbers:

0800-AOLUSA.

With regards,

Martijn Tonies
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