Best way to store telephone numbers in database

[phppup]

Is there a recommended BEST PRACTICE for storing (and retrieving) telephone numbers from a database table?

Is it best to store (in the USA) the area code separate from the rest of the number?  Remove parenthesis and/or dashes? 

Or is there no reason to concern myself with performance or hacking issues regarding the storage of phone numbers as 323-555-1212 or (323)555-1212 inside my table?

[gw1500se]

Use E.164 format.

[requinix]

Regarding formatting, like hyphens or parentheses or periods:

Don't.

Plus sign with the country code is fine, otherwise just a string of digits and you can format it on display however you want.

[ginerjm]

After reading thru the e164 post and still not understanding what it is saying I would suggest that the format that I have always used is close.  Do not format the number with any parens or dashes or dots.  Just the digits and save any formatting for when you need to output it.

 

[phppup]

Amy suggestions for best method of removing parentheses and hyphen before transferring into the database?

 

[Barand]

1. Don't put them in there in the first place.

or

2.

$phone = "(123) 456-7890" ;
$justdigits = '';

for ($i=0, $k=strlen($phone); $i<$k; $i++) {
    $justdigits .= (ctype_digit($phone[$i])) ? $phone[$i] : ''; 
}
echo $justdigits ;     //--> 1234567890

 

When it comes to formatting the output I find  a custom formatting function of use;
 

$phone = '1234567890234'
$format = '(###) ###-#### ext ###';

echo formatIt ($format, $phone);                      // -> (123) 456-7890 ext 234


function formatIt($format,$str)
{
    $i = $j = 0;
    $res = '';
    $kf = strlen($format);
    $str = str_replace(' ','',$str);
    $ks = strlen($str);
    while ($i < $kf  && $j < $ks) {
        $res .= $format[$i]=='#' ? $str[$j++] : $format[$i];
        ++$i;
    }
    if ($j<$ks) $res .= substr($str,$j);
    return $res;
}