need conceptual table design direction **clarified**

[Mark J Kubicki]

I have a table with an undetermined number of records...
typically, I have "a" report that prints all of the records in the table

I need to set up an undetermined number of additional versions of the report
(query...) where only prespecified records of the table are included.
The only criteria for a record to be included would be by the user's random
choice -there would be no data determined criteria (ex: not everyone who
lives in "New Jersey" just the folks I designate as living there, or who I
think live there, or who I think ought to live there)

ex:
report001-version_A - include records: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
report001-version_B - include records: 1, 3, 5
report001-version_C ....

it's important to note: one version of the report DOES NOT supersede the
previous,
multiple versions may exist at the same time, so each record needs to know
which report it is included in and which it is not... I could add a flag
column for each version of the report, except the number of reports is
unknown.

if this were a spread sheet, I would have all of the records listed in rows,
and then each time I added a version of the report, I would add a new column
for it, if a record were to be included in that report, I would enter a "Y"
the intersecting field, else an "N" (this also allow me to compare which
records were being included in different versions of the reports while also
giving me a comprehensive look at what was being included in the report I
was currently choosing for...

in Access, I'm lost

(great at Excel, O.K. enough at VBA, not so O.K. at ACCESS)
thanks in advance,
mark

 

[Allen Browne]

Mark, there are 2 ways to supply the criteria to a report at runtime:

a) Use a parameter in the query. Whenever the report runs, the query pops up
a dialog asking for the value to use for the parameter this time (e.g. New
Jersey).

b) Use OpenReport in code or macro, and supply a WhereCondition. This string
limits the report to matching values.

In general, (a) is simpler to create, but (b) is more powerful and
efficient.

This article provides an example of each:
Limiting a Report to a Date Range
at:
http://allenbrowne.com/casu-08.html

This article explains how the user can select multiple records for the
reprot by clicking them in a multi-select list box:
Use a multi-select list box to filter a report
at:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-50.html

What I personally do is to set up a form with lots of unbound contorls where
the user can choose any criteria they want: date range, specific values, and
so on. If you are comfortable with VBA code, and ready to do something like
that, download this example:
http://allenbrowne.com/unlinked/Search2000.zip
It is actually designed as a search form, but building the WhereCondition
for the report is identical to building the Filter for the form.

Hope that helps