Loss of Data Converting Text to Number

[Megan]

Hi everyone-

I'm trying to convert social security numbers from a text data type to
a number data type, but I lose data on some of the social security
numbers, especially SS#s with 0's in them. For example: 123-45-6789
might become 45-6789. This happens in about 20% of the SS#s.

I tried opening the table then switching text to number. I also tried
creating a new table, changing the field from text to number, then
running an append query, but I still lose data and get incomplete
SS#s.

Can anybody give me any suggestions. I'm not much of a VBA coder yet.

Thanks a bunch!

Megan

[Jim Allensworth]

On 25 Jul 2004 20:27:31 -0700, me**************@hotmail.com (Megan)
wrote:

Hi everyone-

I'm trying to convert social security numbers from a text data type to
a number data type, but I lose data on some of the social security
numbers, especially SS#s with 0's in them. For example: 123-45-6789
might become 45-6789. This happens in about 20% of the SS#s.

I tried opening the table then switching text to number. I also tried
creating a new table, changing the field from text to number, then
running an append query, but I still lose data and get incomplete
SS#s.

Can anybody give me any suggestions. I'm not much of a VBA coder yet.

Question. Why would you want to use a numeric data type for SS#s?
The only reason for a number is to perform an arithmetic operation on
it. Which you should never do on an ID. Answer yourself that question
and then proceed.

- Jim

[Terry Kreft]

But 123-45-6789 is not a number it's a string and so should be stored in a
text field.
--
Terry Kreft
MVP Microsoft Access
"Megan" <me**************@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:5c**************************@posting.google.c om...

Hi everyone-

I'm trying to convert social security numbers from a text data type to
a number data type, but I lose data on some of the social security
numbers, especially SS#s with 0's in them. For example: 123-45-6789
might become 45-6789. This happens in about 20% of the SS#s.

I tried opening the table then switching text to number. I also tried
creating a new table, changing the field from text to number, then
running an append query, but I still lose data and get incomplete
SS#s.

Can anybody give me any suggestions. I'm not much of a VBA coder yet.

Thanks a bunch!

Megan