Question

Which of the following is true when breaking compound fields into smaller parts?

1) Break names into first name and last name fields.
2) Leave city, state, and zip code together in one field.
3) For faster sorting, include the street address in the same field as the city, state, and zip code field.
4) Always separate the area code from the phone number field.

Answer 1

True practices for breaking compound fields include separating first and last names and keeping city, state, and zip code together. Street address should be kept separate from city, state, and zip, and the inclusion of area code with the phone number varies by use case.

Step-by-step explanation:

When breaking compound fields into smaller parts, it is true that one should break names into first name and last name fields. This assists in data sorting and management. However, it is recommended to leave city, state, and zip code together in one field for addressing purposes. Contrary to the suggestion of including the street address for faster sorting, the street address should typically be kept in a separate field from the city, state, and zip code to maintain data clarity and align with standard addressing formats.

Lastly, the practice of separating or combining the area code with the phone number field depends on the use case. For example, in databases where analyzing the area code might be relevant, keeping it separate can be useful. Conversely, for simplicity in user-facing designs, the area code might be included in the same field as the phone number.