Thanks alot Mike. This has trult been bothering me. I guess you are absolutely right. So I will figure out all the differences in the countries and create a form based upon the dropdown chosen, leave all the database items accepting NULL values and validate server side with CF.
Beautiful!! There are only two things that come out of Berkley. Unix BSD and LSD. I do not think this is a coincidence :) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Kear" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Talk" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 4:22 AM Subject: Re: OT: Other countries besides US > My point was not to list out the various differences between one > country and another, but to point out that there are so many > differences that masking or using regex to force a specific format > when you know you are going to have customers from all around the > world is simply futile. There are too many differences to handle in a > practical manner. > > A few years ago, I was trying to buy software from Hewlett-Packard - > an international company if ever there was one. But the on-line form > required a US zipcode, only offered two-character state > abbreviations, and validated the state against the postcode, > required a phone number in the format (555) 555-5555, and believe it > or not even required a Social Security Number!! And the product was > not US-specific. It was international. > > I really needed the software, so i ended up phoning my brother in > Indianapolis, asking him for his social security number. I made up > one of my own based on his. I picked a zip code and address out of an > American magazine, and just for fun used a phone number with the area > code 555, since all phone numbers in movies have area code 555 for > some reason. > > Then i used the comments box to give them the real information, > downloaded the software and paid with my credit card. > > So their validation ended up getting them what? Useless made up > information, and the address in theri database would be to some > company I just plucked out of a magazine. > > If you're going to attract international business, you need to be a > lot more flexible in your address/phone form than if you are going to > tell customers outside your own country to bugger off. > > Cheers > Mike Kear > Windsor, NSW, Australia > Adobe Certified Advanced ColdFusion Developer > AFP Webworks > http://afpwebworks.com > ColdFusion, PHP, ASP, ASP.NET hosting from AUD$15/month > > > > On 10/25/06, Paul Hastings <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> instead of relying on what is essentially hearsay, go here for your info: >> >> http://www.upu.int/ >> >> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Talk/message.cfm/messageid:257973 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4
