Dashes in Phone Numbers

[Tom Cone Jr]

Re: Dashes in Phone Numbers

Rich, did your field rules also include a mask?

-- tom

[Rich Hartnett]

Re: Dashes in Phone Numbers

No, just the calculation.

[Pat Bremkamp]

Re: Dashes in Phone Numbers

Rich,

Looks like the results of the calculation were being stored in the table, but then the calculation was being done again:

Start: 1234567890

1st time 123-456-7890

2nd time 123--45-6-78

3rd time 123---4-5-6-

and so on.

Pat

[Rich Hartnett]

Re: Dashes in Phone Numbers

Interesting, but I don't know why. I created the calculation as a field rule,
then marked all the records, which in effect, updated the calculated fields.

They all came out in the weird manner, including the first one.

Additionally, if you look at the field rule screen shot I sent (above), the confirmation result at the bottom is incorrect as well.
Result: (301---5-5-5-)
Type: C

Weird.


I got it to work as an update operation, I'm just wondering why it won't work correctly as a field rule?

[Pat Bremkamp]

Re: Dashes in Phone Numbers

Rich,

You might want to consider storing the phone numbers in the table with no dashes and add the formatting just for display or printout purposes.

It's probably overkill, but for text boxes, I use the following display format:

 
if(len(alltrim(<value>))=10,"("+left(<value>,3)+") "+substr(<value>,4,3)+"-"+right(<value>,4),if(len(alltrim(<value>))=7,"(   ) "+left(<value>,3)+"-"+right(<value>,4),""))

Then display unformat is simply

remspecial(<value>)

Pat

[JerryBrightbill]

Re: Dashes in Phone Numbers

A simple approach can be done with transform() and remspecial()

phone = "3015554444"
?transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-999-9999")
= "301-555-4444"

phone = "301-555-4444"
?transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-999-9999")
= "301-555-4444"

Of course, you can use Pats approach and check for length and get a bit carried away

phone = "3015554444"
?case(len(alltrim(remspecial(phone)))=10,transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-999-9999"),len(alltrim(remspecial(phone)))=7,transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-9999"),.T.,"")
= "301-555-4444"

phone="301-555-4444"
?case(len(alltrim(remspecial(phone)))=10,transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-999-9999"),len(alltrim(remspecial(phone)))=7,transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-9999"),.T.,"")
= "301-555-4444"

phone = "555-4444"
?case(len(alltrim(remspecial(phone)))=10,transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-999-9999"),len(alltrim(remspecial(phone)))=7,transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-9999"),.T.,"")
= "555-4444"

phone = "12345"
?case(len(alltrim(remspecial(phone)))=10,transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-999-9999"),len(alltrim(remspecial(phone)))=7,transform(remspecial(phone),"@R 999-9999"),.T.,"")
= ""

[Rich Hartnett]

Re: Dashes in Phone Numbers

I'm okay with it now. I just needed to clean up the "existing" phone numbers, that had no dashes when they were first entered over a several year period, in an old Filemaker Pro database.

All of the current numbers will be entered in the proper manner, so the expression won't be needed for those.

As always, thanks for all the help.