another question regarding multiplep-field primary key

I have 3 excel files to import....there are 10 fields..there are duplicates
in these excel files. But what constitutes a duplicate is that field 2,
field 5 and field 6 cannot be identical. For example there could be
field 2...field 5...field 6
421 a 1997
421 b 1997
421 b 1998
421 b 1998.....

Only the last two are duplicates. Would it be "silly" to put all three
fields as multiple-field primary key to import ...to catch dups...and when
done, reset the primary key to the one field.??

There's nothing wrong with multi-field primary keys - and it seems you
have one here. So you if you "reset the primary key to the one field" it
will no longer be a primary key!

On Mon, 16 Aug 2004 13:15:03 -0700, cwr
wrote:

I have 3 excel files to import....there are 10 fields..there are duplicates
in these excel files. But what constitutes a duplicate is that field 2,
field 5 and field 6 cannot be identical. For example there could be
field 2...field 5...field 6
421 a 1997
421 b 1997
421 b 1998
421 b 1998.....

Only the last two are duplicates. Would it be "silly" to put all three
fields as multiple-field primary key to import ...to catch dups...and when
done, reset the primary key to the one field.??

--
John Nurick [Microsoft Access MVP]

Please respond in the newgroup and not by email.

have you tried using the three fields to create a unique index? that should
give you the same outcome, without having to change the table's primary key
just to import.

hth


"cwr" wrote in message
...
I have 3 excel files to import....there are 10 fields..there are
duplicates
in these excel files. But what constitutes a duplicate is that field 2,
field 5 and field 6 cannot be identical. For example there could be
field 2...field 5...field 6
421 a 1997
421 b 1997
421 b 1998
421 b 1998.....

Only the last two are duplicates. Would it be "silly" to put all three
fields as multiple-field primary key to import ...to catch dups...and when
done, reset the primary key to the one field.??

Both responses good. But did some reading on unique
index.....that worked well.

Thanks

-----Original Message-----
have you tried using the three fields to create a unique
index? that should
give you the same outcome, without having to change the
table's primary key
just to import.

hth


"cwr" wrote in message
news:1F82BD6D-171C-48B1-B112-
...
I have 3 excel files to import....there are 10
fields..there are
duplicates
in these excel files. But what constitutes a
duplicate is that field 2,
field 5 and field 6 cannot be identical. For example
there could be
field 2...field 5...field 6
421 a 1997
421 b 1997
421 b 1998
421 b 1998.....

Only the last two are duplicates. Would it be "silly"
to put all three
fields as multiple-field primary key to import ...to
catch dups...and when
done, reset the primary key to the one field.??



.