Required Fields in a form

[tahuero]

I am trying to make several fields in a form required. I do not want to
set the required property in the text box, but rather in the form. I
set up a macro to enable certain fields to be available only after
others fields are populated with information, but I think that is
causing my database to run slower over a network than it needs to be.
Is there a better way to make several text boxes required without using
a macro?

 

[Jeff Boyce]

You haven't described the network, the PCs, the version, or whether the
application is split front-end/back-end. You haven't mentioned table
structure or indexing, or ...

All of these may be factors ...

--
More info, please ...

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP


Microsoft IT Academy Program Mentor
http://microsoftitacademy.com/

 

[tahuero]

Windows Server 2003; PC's = XP Pro; no split front-end or back-end and
at this point nothing runs on any SQL Server.

The project manager of this database wants users to be required to
enter information into particular fields. The DB has 23 fields, 16 of
which will be required. I need it to be as little obtrusive as
possible, simply prompting users to input information as they go along,
or they will not be able to save the data.

 

[Jeff Boyce]

It sounds like you have a single .mdb file being shared by multiple users.
This is potentially a formula for corruption of your database. Take a look
at splitting the back-end (data) out to a server, and putting a copy of the
front-end on each PC using the application.

When you say "the DB has 23 fields", do you mean you have a single table and
it has 23 fields?

Do you have a BeforeUpdate event in the form? You could use that to make
sure all required fields were completed. A perhaps more user-friendly
approach would be to indicate on the form which fields are required, and, on
leaving each (let's say the user was tabbing through), you could use the
LostFocus event to check for a value in the control.

Just a couple thoughts...

--
Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP


Microsoft IT Academy Program Mentor
http://microsoftitacademy.com/