Re: MAC address as primary key - BIGINT or CHAR(12)

[Jim Lyons]

Definitely CHAR (or VARCHAR).

If the format of a MAC address changes at all, you could be in real
trouble.  Also, if a MAC address can have a leading 0 (I don't know anything
about MAC addresses), then storing it as some sort of number could lose
that.

This is a general rule for me.  A field might only contain numbers (at one
particular point in time)  but if those numbers are really nominal data (in
which the size or order does not matter) then they should be CHAR or VARCHAR
fields anyway.

On Thu, May 14, 2009 at 8:26 AM, Ilia KATZ <ikatz@stripped> wrote:

> Hi.
> Currently I have a table:
> 1. MAC address defined as BIGINT
> 2. MAC address set as primary key
>
> Should I consider changing it to CHAR(12)?
>
> Replies will be appreciated.
> Ilia
>
>
>
>


-- 
Jim Lyons
Web developer / Database administrator
http://www.weblyons.com