Calendar for Schedling Staffing

[Mad Medic]

I am having a heck of a time trying to make a simple database that will
build and then store work schedules for about 20 people.
I just want a form with names in the right column. The top row has the
specific days of the month and the fields show who is working that shift. I
have done it for years in Excel (so that data entry format would be great),
but I want to tie the names to a database with their personal data,
"holidays owed", etc. And I want to be able to go back and look at any past
month (preferably with a combo box).
Sounds simple, but I am stumped.

Anyone got any ideas?
TIA!
Nick

 

[Joseph Meehan]

I am having a heck of a time trying to make a simple database that
will build and then store work schedules for about 20 people.
I just want a form with names in the right column. The top row has
the specific days of the month and the fields show who is working
that shift. I have done it for years in Excel (so that data entry
format would be great), but I want to tie the names to a database
with their personal data, "holidays owed", etc. And I want to be
able to go back and look at any past month (preferably with a combo
box). Sounds simple, but I am stumped.

Anyone got any ideas?
TIA!
Nick

I suggest you need to start with what you need. Excel is not going to be
convenient because you want to go back. Well I guess you could use Excel,
maybe tabs would help.

Assuming you want to use Access, you are starting at the wrong point.
You don't start with the input form, you start with table design.

You will want one table for just the names and personal information. It
might even include "default" schedules.

Next you will want a table for actual schedules.

Are you going to do any calculations? Like how many hours worked? How
about validity checks like working more than 8 hours a day?

All this information is important to know before you move ahead.

As for your questions on the display of data, I think your table design
is your problem. Think in terms of a form with a subform. The form based
on the person table and the subform based on the schedule data.

I would not be surprised if someone has one of these already put
together and would be willing to share it with you so you can adjust it to
fit your needs or just use it for ideas.

 

[Mad Medic]

Thanks! I would like to automatically create date tables (i.e. a field with
the month name and fields with the days of the month) But I can't figure
out how to make an automatic table with 31 fields for January, 28 Fields for
February, etc automatically.....

 

[Mike Painter]

Thanks! I would like to automatically create date tables (i.e. a
field with the month name and fields with the days of the month) But
I can't figure out how to make an automatic table with 31 fields for
January, 28 Fields for February, etc automatically.....

Using a table with 31 date fields on it violates relational database rules
and will cause lots of problems, solved only by more code.
It has to be done programmatically to display properly and involves a
continuous form with 33 or so fields that hides unused fields in the month.
It can also be made to color code and make smaller week ends and color code
holidays.

I've done that kind of thing using a flat file to display the calendar and
relating each date field in code to a properly designed table.

It was not a cheap solution, but that's what they insisted on.

There are tons of scheduling programs out there.

 

[Joseph Meehan]

Thanks! I would like to automatically create date tables (i.e. a
field with the month name and fields with the days of the month) But
I can't figure out how to make an automatic table with 31 fields for
January, 28 Fields for February, etc automatically.....

You will want to think a moment. Do you really want months or do you
want weeks or what. I suggest considering pay periods or many contract
billing periods or periods base on when they will be filled out (like the
end of each week.

Remember that once you decide on say a month. You will have a difficult
time re-arranging that data for weeks.

In a database you can even use each day, which is what I might suggest.
Start time lunch start lunch end and end time as well as other times you may
need to add. Some systems may have several entries on a given day if they
need to allocate to different projects. It all can be re-organized when you
present the data in a report or form.

Normally as odd as it may sound, using one record for a month is not a
good idea. It will become very awkward very quickly.

 

[Mad Medic]

Does anyone have any examples that I could use?

Using a table with 31 date fields on it violates relational database rules
and will cause lots of problems, solved only by more code.
It has to be done programmatically to display properly and involves a
continuous form with 33 or so fields that hides unused fields in the
month. It can also be made to color code and make smaller week ends and
color code holidays.

I've done that kind of thing using a flat file to display the calendar and
relating each date field in code to a properly designed table.

It was not a cheap solution, but that's what they insisted on.

There are tons of scheduling programs out there.