Re: Define a job to run once an year

I agree that in relational design theory that you should not construct a single column where the column actually consists of multiple data items; however, in the real world such values do exist. These values are pretty much used only as a whole and their contents are not accessed standalone though there are exceptions. The VIN number used by the automotive industry is an example. The value represents numerous data items and its construction is actually set in law.

A better example is the engine serial number used by a manufacturer I know of. The first two digits represent the number of cylinders and the two following digits represent the series. The final six digits are a sequential sequence from 1 to 99999. If enough units are produced to consume the sequence then it is reset to 1 and another series code is issued to allow extension of the line.

Just adding another digit is not an option due to business restrictions including import laws of customer countries, export licenses, and the fact one's customer base IT systems only allow 10 digits and are running on computer systems that still use vacuum tubes makes changing the size of the column a long process.
The real world and theory do not always agree.

• Mark D Powell --