From: Martijn Tonies
Date: May 16 2006 7:05pm
Subject: Re: Converting varchar field into primary key
List-Archive: http://lists.mysql.com/mysql/198028
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> > > I'm creating a new MySQL database from an existing Filemaker db.
> > > 
> > > My problem is that some of the existing 'numbers' in one column (it  
> > > was a text field in FMP) have leading zeros. eg: 003, 0007, 012,  
> > > 001234. I need to maintain these numbers 'as is' - complete with  
> > > zeros. I've tried all the numeric data types and they all seem to  
> > > strip these leading zeros. Is it possible to have a numeric field  
> > > type which will maintain those zeros? I want this column to become  
> > > the primary key.
> > 
> > "leading zeros" is a typical "display requirement".
> > 
> > An integer value does not have something as leading zeros.
> > 
> > Why not make the VARCHAR the PK and keep the datatype?
> > 
> > Martijn Tonies
> > Database Workbench - development tool for MySQL, and more!
> 
> 
> The manual states (among other things) declaring a column:
> 
> int(6) zerofill
> 
> will left pad the column with zeros.
> 003 will become 000003.

On retrieval, compare or what?

003 = 03 = 3 as far as I know.

Martijn Tonies
Database Workbench - development tool for MySQL, and more!
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