restricting field data

  • Thread starter Thread starter LP
  • Start date Start date
L

LP

Hi there
i need to give a copy of our database ...i want to make sure our members
cannot be identified...is there a quick way of displaying only the first
letter of all the records in a field?
thank you for your help
LP
 
On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 04:41:01 -0800, LP <[email protected]>
wrote:

On a copy of the database you could run some update queries. Something
like:
update myTable set FIrstName = "FN" & ID, LastName = "LN" & ID

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP
 
Or if you want the initial letter in a field.

UPDATE [SomeTable]
SET [SomeField] = Left([SomeField],1)
WHERE [SomeField] is not null

John Spencer
Access MVP 2002-2005, 2007-2009
The Hilltop Institute
University of Maryland Baltimore County
 
No. The exception would be if you have User Level Security enabled. Then with
a lot of work you could use something like the Left([FieldName], 1) to
display only the first letter in a query, form, or report. Without User Level
Security, anyone can get into a table and see all the data.

What you could do is to create a copy of the database. Then open the table
in design view. Set the length for the name field to 1. After Access
complains, it will remove all the data from the field except for the first
character. The rest of the data will be GONE and not recoverable.

Make sure to make a backup or two in case things go wrong.
 
i want to make sure our members cannot be identified
In how many tables and fields can the be recognized? MemberID, SSN, First
and Last names?
If you have Cascade Update select in your one-to-many relationships you
could run an update on the field that has the identification information.
For SSN update to Rnd([SSN]) or subtract or add some random number.

You could replace all vowels with another letter. Use multiples update to
replace third letter with second letter of fifth record offset, then 2nd with
4th offset by 3, etc.
 
LP said:
Hi there
i need to give a copy of our database ...i want to make sure our members
cannot be identified...is there a quick way of displaying only the first
letter of all the records in a field?
thank you for your help
LP
Click to expand...
 
LP said:
Hi there
i need to give a copy of our database ...i want to make sure our members
cannot be identified...is there a quick way of displaying only the first
letter of all the records in a field?
thank you for your help
LP
Click to expand...
 
Right, and closer to what the OP asked for. I was concerned about
unique indexes.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP

Or if you want the initial letter in a field.

UPDATE [SomeTable]
SET [SomeField] = Left([SomeField],1)
WHERE [SomeField] is not null

John Spencer
Access MVP 2002-2005, 2007-2009
The Hilltop Institute
University of Maryland Baltimore County
On a copy of the database you could run some update queries. Something
like:
update myTable set FIrstName = "FN" & ID, LastName = "LN" & ID

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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