Phone Number Storage and Usage
Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 3:52 pm
This suggestion may be completely redundant or may not be all that important compared to other things going on but this seems not too difficult to implement and would help people out so here it goes anyway.
I think that the phone numbers should be stored without the extra characters so that they can all be standardized or customized easily. I know that MLS is for more than the US but for example all numbers have 10 digits in the US and different people have different preferences on how the number is displayed. Each person could than easily maintain the numbers on their own preference. Like I like mine xxx-xxx-xxxx but others like the (xxx) xxx-xxxx format. The ward would have a default and each user could than change how they view and use the phone numbers.
The only reason I am thinking of this is with the increased usage of smartphone directories, like ward tools. The stake has asked that we maintain a particular method to enter the phone number so the phone user can use the application to dial instead of needing to write the number down. The application evidently has a hard time reading outside of the prescribed format. This takes work and is a headache with people moving in or changing numbers. Seems it would be too hard to strip out anything not a number and store only the numbers. This would also allow the system to do checks on the numbers to help prevent fat finger errors. Also things like a default area code could be added if only 7 digits are entered. I don't think this would add too much coding but could really standardize things and make it easier on clerks.
I think that the phone numbers should be stored without the extra characters so that they can all be standardized or customized easily. I know that MLS is for more than the US but for example all numbers have 10 digits in the US and different people have different preferences on how the number is displayed. Each person could than easily maintain the numbers on their own preference. Like I like mine xxx-xxx-xxxx but others like the (xxx) xxx-xxxx format. The ward would have a default and each user could than change how they view and use the phone numbers.
The only reason I am thinking of this is with the increased usage of smartphone directories, like ward tools. The stake has asked that we maintain a particular method to enter the phone number so the phone user can use the application to dial instead of needing to write the number down. The application evidently has a hard time reading outside of the prescribed format. This takes work and is a headache with people moving in or changing numbers. Seems it would be too hard to strip out anything not a number and store only the numbers. This would also allow the system to do checks on the numbers to help prevent fat finger errors. Also things like a default area code could be added if only 7 digits are entered. I don't think this would add too much coding but could really standardize things and make it easier on clerks.