Refining Table Structure 811
- Select the ZIP field name, change it to PostalCode, and then change its data type
to Text.
Tip If you use only five-digit ZIP codes, the Number data type is fine. But setting it to
Text allows you to enter ZIP+4 codes or the letter-number postal codes used in Canada
and other countries.
The properties in the Field Properties area at the bottom of the design page
change to those that are appropriate for this type of field.
The properties for the Text data type.- In the box to the right of Field Size, double-click 255 , and type 10.
You are specifying that this field can contain no more than 10 characters.- Change the Field Size property of the following fields as shown:
FirstName 50 City 50 Phone 30
LastName 50 State 20
Tip Sometimes changing the field properties of a table that already contains data
can produce unanticipated results. If you make a change to a field property that
might cause data to be lost (for example, if you make the Field Size property smaller
than one of the field’s existing values), Access warns you of this problem when you
attempt to save the table.