Automatically updating fields

[Ashley Horsley]

Hi,
Please can you help. I am in desperate need of answers.
I have a database that has got a field called CandidateID and several other
forms using this field as a relationship for data.
On one of the forms there is a field called Course1ID, and then fields
Course2ID up to Course4ID. Then on a different form, I want the value in a
field called Course1ID to automatically update to the one specific to a
Candidate ID, when the CandidateID is selected in a drop-down field on that
form.

Is this possible?

Please help.

Ashley Horsley
(e-mail address removed)

Hi,
Sorry but could you explain what you mean by normalised?
The database is structured so that one form is for entering personal data
(candidateID and the CourseID's that the candidate is taking)
On a seperate form there is a drop down box for candidateID and a seperate
field for the courseID. Then another set of fields are for entering the
grades the candidate obtained. I want the courseID value to be automatically
selected when the candidate ID is selected. So it changes when crolling
through the CandidateID's.


Ashley

 

[tina]

as Lynn said, your tables are apparently not normalized. forget forms for
the moment; you need to get your tables correctly built and related, then
building the forms for data entry will be much easier. suggest you Google
for table normalization, or try doing a Find here in the newsgroups.
also suggest you have some patience in posting. it is not unusual for a post
to go several hours, up to a day, before getting a reply. and if you're
lucky enough to start a dialog with an MVP, such as Lynn, you're better off
pursuing that thread rather than reposting the same question.
btw, your post on Monday 8/16 states that you're building this database for
a class in school. how is it that you got to the point of needing to
complete a project without learning the basics of database design, or the
basics of using Access? if the instructor didn't cover any of that in the
class, suggest you ask him/her to at least recommend textbooks and other
reference materials to help you get started.

hth

 

[Lynn Trapp]

...if the instructor didn't cover any of that in the

class, suggest you ask him/her to at least recommend textbooks and other
reference materials to help you get started.

I suggest the instructor be hung up by his/her toenails if those basics were
left out...<G>

 

[Ashley Horsley]

Thanks for the comments.
I am self learning this material and will be taking my A-Level at the same
time as my GCSE's. I am not given lessons, but rather a catch up and review
every few weeks, this is to guide me towards what stage I should be at. I am
only 15 and therefore have not had much practice.

Ashley

 

[Ashley Horsley]

See reply to message at 18:39.
Ashley

I suggest the instructor be hung up by his/her toenails if those basics were
left out...<G>

--
Lynn Trapp
MS Access MVP
www.ltcomputerdesigns.com
Access Security: www.ltcomputerdesigns.com/Security.htm

 

[Lynn Trapp]

Ashley,
I suggest that you head to the nearest bookstore and get a copy of Microsoft
Office Access 2003 Inside Out by John L. Viescas. It will help you
immensely.

 

[Ashley Horsley]

Thank You

In the mean time could you suggest things that I could do.

Many thanks
Ashley

 

[tina]

yeah, no joke - i'd demand my money back! <g>
as a side note: i'm taking a beginning Office Suite course this term, only
because it's required by the program i'm in. i browsed the Access portion of
the tutorials; it appears to only instruct how to build tables with the
wizard - spaces in field names, no info on proper data grouping, etc.
<cringe>
maybe that's how so many people are getting such bad habits from the get-go.

 

[Lynn Trapp]

Tina,
I'm sure you are right about that. I used to be an instructor for a computer
training center and our courseware on Access only taught people how to
create a table. There was nothing about normalization. I always added some
instructions about it but I doubt that most instructors know enough to be
able to do that.

 

[tina]

kind of like teaching somebody how to turn on an oven, but not how to bake a
cake. <g>
well, wish me luck in keeping my mouth shut in this Office course. i'll
probably end up with the instructor hating my guts! <bg>

 

[Lynn Trapp]

LOL...good analogy.
A good strong piece of tape might help. <veg> You could probably teach the
course. Maybe the instructor will let you help. I used to do that with
bright students.

 

[tina]

lol...maybe some duct tape, it holds the world together, you know. <g>
btw, "veg"?
i have enough knowledge to teach the Access portion, no doubt; but knowing
something and being able to teach it effectively are two very different
things - and i've taken classes taught by people who didn't realize the
difference, unfortunately. so i think i'd do better just to head on over to
the hardware store! <g>

 

[Lynn Trapp]

LOL...Yeah, duct tape is good stuff. My son always has a wallet that he made
entirely from duct tape. When one wears out he makes a new one.

<veg> = Very Evil Grin

OH, I have confidence that you could do the teaching quite well. You would
certainly make it fun.

 

[tina]

Lynn - you? evil? never! <bg>
thanks for the vote of confidence, maybe i'll give my instructor your email
address as a reference!

 

[Lynn Trapp]

Lynn - you? evil? never! <bg>

thanks for the vote of confidence, maybe i'll give my instructor your email
address as a reference!

That'll work. I promise to be kind. LOL

 

[tina]

why do i get the feeling there's a subtext there, as in <rubbing hands
together, hoping for a chance to be evil> ?

 

[Lynn Trapp]

why do i get the feeling there's a subtext there, as in <rubbing hands

together, hoping for a chance to be evil> ?

hehehe.... can't you see my halo (supported by my horns)?

 

[tina]

lol

hehehe.... can't you see my halo (supported by my horns)?

--
Lynn Trapp
MS Access MVP
www.ltcomputerdesigns.com
Access Security: www.ltcomputerdesigns.com/Security.htm

 

[Ernie]

Browse through the "Table and Database design" section of
this newsgroup. A lot of your questions will be answered
there.

As a quick check of you DB design, just go to Tools /
Analyze / Table and follow the prompts. When you use this
wizard to analyze what you've got setup, it will show you
what a 'normalized' version of your table would be.