there is a function called Soundex() which will return a 4 char string from a string of any length. We used to make up composite strings of these sort of fileds and that would rpovide a key for that record

quite a lonbf string though. You have 50 fields and at 4 chars per filed that's going to be 200 chars. Not sure how effiecient an index on a text field of that length will be however

just my €0.02

Tim