Creating Reports (for Primary Key)

[Guest]

I currently maintain a database (Access 2000) of sales records, by customers'
names, purchased items, cost and etc. The primary key of the database is the
names of customers. I've normally done queries on the items, cost to generate
analysis of purchasers' trends. However, when I need to do a report on items
purchased by individual customer, I do not know of a faster way, except to
run query by individual names. Is there a faster and better way of doing so?
Thanks.

 

[John Vinson]

I currently maintain a database (Access 2000) of sales records, by customers'
names, purchased items, cost and etc. The primary key of the database is the
names of customers.

Ummm...

Not a good idea. A good Primary Key is unique, stable, and short;
people's names fail on all three counts. What if you had two customers
named Jim Smith? What if Janet Hopkins comes back after her wedding as
Janet Robertson?

I've normally done queries on the items, cost to generate
analysis of purchasers' trends. However, when I need to do a report on items
purchased by individual customer, I do not know of a faster way, except to
run query by individual names. Is there a faster and better way of doing so?
Thanks.

I don't understand the question. Of course you need a query by
individual names - you want to get an individual customer!

Are you using a Parameter Query? Consider creating a small unbound
Form, frmCrit let's say, with one combo box on it selecting the
customer names alphabetically (cboName). Your Query could use

=[Forms]![frmCrit]![cboName]

as a criterion to pull up just the records for that one person.

And... if you have ALL of this information in one table, your table
design really needs to be reconsidered!

John W. Vinson[MVP]