I have a SQL database where one of my fields 'Status' has one of 10 entries in it (not from a dropdown list). I let some people have access to the data through an Access database, they can add and modify entries.
My question is, in Access, how can I make it so that the 'Status' field is a drop-down list from which the users can choose from (the 10 entries which are already in the SQL database)? It would be easier for them and also mean that mistakes cannot be made.
Many thanks
Scott
The usual way to do this is to use a combo box on a form with the row source taken from the look-up table and the bound column set to the field (column) of the table to be updated.
In Access you can add lookup information to a column. That will automatically display a dropdown list.
Step 1: Start the lookup wizard:
Step 2: After the wizard, the lookup settings should look like this:
Step 3: When your users open a table, they should see the dropdown box:
In addition to the solution described by Andomar you must not use another table as the source for your lookup. You can also provide the lookup-values in a list, which is hardcoded in the table-definition. This is fine for simple scenarios where the lookup is something that is not likely to be changed.
Several issues here:
table datasheets are not suitable user interface for users.
you can create a saved QueryDef and if you view the properties of a field, the second tab is just like the second tab in table design, and allows you to use a combo box as your display type in your query. I would generally recommend against this, as, like table datasheets, a QueryDef is not a proper UI element, and if you use the saved query in other queries, you can run into the same problems that cause lookups in table fields to be such as bad idea.
you're building a UI, so use the tools that Access provides you for building a UI. That means a form. Your form's recordsource would have the bare data, and you'd create a combo box on your form that is bound to the field in the table behind your form, and displays the values from the lookup tables. There's a wizard to step you through this. If you like the look of datasheets so much (column sizing, sorting, show/hiding are all features that are nice in datasheets), you can set your form to display as a datasheet.
My advice is that for building a user interface, use the tools Access provides for creating user interface. In my opinion, a dropdown list belongs in a form, and nowhere else. While I occasionally might add one to a query for quick-and-dirty editing, I would never do that in objects that users are going to use.
Related
I am trying to create a database with field descriptions for a very large excel file that I have at work. I have created 3 tables- List of sheets, list of variables(including a lookup field pointing at the List of sheets table, so that I can select the sheet to which the variable belongs), and a third table which specify some validation rule.
In this third table, I want to see two lookup fields, one specifying the sheet in which the rule applies(say, 'Select Sheet'), and another specifying the variable(say, 'Select Variable'). I can point to the two different tables, but I want to do something a bit more nuanced than that. When I give a particular sheet name to 'Select Sheet', I want the lookup field for the variable('Select Variable') to show me only those variables which exists in that sheet.
I know that there probably will be solutions using forms, but this database is going to be very detailed and there are things to do afterwards, so I do not want to get into queries and forms before all data has been recorded in tables in a neat manner.
I have a good grasp of VBA in the context of excel and I am given to understand that I can extend the applications of Access using VBA. I am ready to do that, but I want to see before that whether this is some functionality of access that I am missing. Had anyone done anything similar before, and if so, did it take VBA to do it?
please bear with me; I'm not particularly confident with MS Access, although I am quite experienced with SQL Databases from website work.
For my sins, I have been tasked with developing a database which will unify the hundreds of spreadsheets which we currently use to record details of our clients, work, and other stuff... The database is established and built, but I am now working with the forms to allow data entry.
I have a datasheet form (we have a member of admin staff who is hell-bent on refusing to use forms, so a datasheet form seems to be the best way to appease her!) and it is bound to a specific table ('referrals') to allow a user to input data into that table. It looks like this:
However, I need to be able to load values from another table ('pupil_details') into the 'UPN' field so that if a pupil already exists in the 'pupil_details' table, the user can pick that pupil and have their details automatically filled into the form for convenience.
The form's Record Source is currently:
SELECT referrals.*
FROM referrals;
The most obvious way to do this seemed at first to be to use a join query for the form's record source, along the lines of:
SELECT referrals.*, pupil_details.UPN
FROM referrals LEFT JOIN pupil_details ON referrals.UPN = pupil_details.pupil_id
and then use this as the control source but when I do this, it breaks the functionality of the form (displays all the records, prevents it being used to enter data)
So, can anybody suggest to me how I might be able to get the 'UPN' field to display a list of records based on this query when a user types into it:
SELECT pupil_details.UPN, pupil_details.name, pupil_details.date_of_birth FROM pupil_details
But then enter the details into the 'referrals' table when the user submits the form? Sort of like this that I mocked up in Photoshop:
I'm stumped, and half a day on Google has left me none the wiser... :(
Thanks!
You should use a continuous form, not a datasheet, it will give you a lot more control, but still look like Excel. Once you have the form, you can add a combobox to get the details you want. It is nearly always best to avoid Excel attitudes in Access.
I have a form in MS Access (datasheet view) which is based on the output of a SQL Server query. Now this is used in a front end where the user needs to be able to select from a drop down the value for one of the columns, 'NAME'. I tried adding a combo box which is mapped to take distinct names from the SQL Server table to the datasheet form but the results were not as desired.
Kindly provide advice on how this can be possible. I did this before by using a lookup on a similar MS Access database, but in a multi-user environment, the database was corrupted and now I moved my back end to SQL Server.
Just got the answer to my question. here are the steps I followed.
a) Add a combo box to the datasheet form in design view like Johnny Bones suggested.
b) Create a drop down with values.
c) Point the Control Source property to the field in the SQL Server table which needs to be updated, in this case NAME.
d) And voila, your drop-down now shows the values in the table and you can include a drop down for the user.
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction Johnny.
In datasheet view, I think you'll need to set up the field in the table.
Open the table in Design View
Click on the specific field in question
At the bottom you will see 2 tabs; General and Lookup (I
apologize, my work doesn't allow me to upload pics, so I hope you
can visualize it)
On the Lookup tab, change the Display Control from Text Box to
Combo Box
At that point, the properties should look familiar if you've worked with Combo Boxes, and you can change them to suit your needs.
I constructed an Access database for a group of end-users. This database is composed of one table, tblInventory, and several queries for them to edit their data quickly/easily. One of my queries, for example, is:
UPDATE tblInventory SET Amount = Amount-[Enter Amount]
WHERE ((([tblInventory].Equiptment_Name)=[Enter Name]));
This worked great in my opinion, but I have to please the end-user after all. They requested that I make a form and use buttons to update the data in the table for them. I have the form laid out like this:
The Equipment_Name and Amount boxes pull their information from my table, which has categories named that. My Unbound textbox field is where I would like them to be able to enter the number of the given part they would like to take out of inventory. The button should be to run my query above, but instead of prompting for inputs I would like it to use what they entered into the textbox. I've tried many different things and searched many different sites but cannot find what I'm looking for.
P.S Equiptment_Name and Amount are the only 2 datafields in the table besides other fields I have in the table to serve as more lenient ways to search for data when they entered in names. These fields are called things such as Alt_Name1 and have no real relevance to the form.
Thanks in advance for any help given.
There is a couple ways you can do it but the simplest way is:
Build your query as a predefined query(ies)
Build a Macro that disabled warnings then executes your query or queries in the order you wish to execute them.
Go to the form Define the button.
Go to the event tab.
Build an event
Set the OnClick Event to the name of the Macro.
Save and Test.
I'm currently struggling with Oracle Apex.
I'm trying to create an application which enables customers to place their order. Therefore I create a report which lists the available products. Furthermore the report contains a column (the SQL query for that is simply '0' as "Quantity") which displays a text box. In this text boy the customer should be able to insert the required quantity.
I've create a screenshot to make it easier to follow me:
After the customer has fill out the form, the "Place Order" button will purchase the wished items then.
My question is now, how is it possible to read out in which text boxes did the user filled in a number and also to which product belongs it!
An easier solution would be to recreate the region but choose Form Region and then Tabular Form Region and then the wizard will help take care of the DML for you. But you need to use specific table columns for this to work.
To answer your question more directly - the input items defined in reports that are posted to the server can be accessed in PL/SQL as a set of "Global Arrays". These are defined as PL/SQL tables in the package apex_application with the names g_f01 through g_f50.
To be sure which of these arrays to use for the quantity text box you can look at the html of the page for the name attribute of the input tag. If it is f01 then you would be able to process the results by accessing each position or element in apex_application.g_f01.
To link the input with the table you would need some sort of key. If you use the wizard to build a Tabular Form all this headache is taken care of for you though.