Re: Enforcing uniqueness on [real estate/postal] addresses

On Tue, 12 May 2020, Peter Devoy wrote:

>> Is is possible to have two entries which have the same
>> address_identifier_general, street and postcode, but different
>> descriptions?
>
> Unfortunately, yes. The data comes from gov't systems to regulate the
> development/alteration of arbitrary pieces of property and those pieces do
> not always have a postal address. E.g. a farmer may one year apply to
> erect a wind turbine in "field north of Foo Cottage" and the next year
> apply to demolish "barnhouse west of Foo Cottage".

I'm in the US but recently read (in The Economist, I think) that house
numbers in the UK are sometimes denied by the local government and the owner
told to select a name for the property.

Can you have a primary key for the property descrption, e.g., "Foo Cottage"
and another (related) column for objects associated with it; e.g., "North
field" and "West barnhouse?"

Similar to an apartment (flat) number in a multifamily dwelling.

Rich