Display combo box entries in reports as text, not ID number

[Guest]

I have set up a database to log mail. I have several tables that "feed"
combo box entries, which comprise of 2 columns - and ID column set as primary
key and a column that lists, for example, a "correspondence type" ... letter,
memo, invoice. I have then created a central table that stores all the
information from the form entries I make. The combo boxes display as text
when viewed as a form, however, when I go back to the central table, or run a
report, the places where I have combo boxes are displayed as the ID number.
How do I get round this? It's driving me crazy and I'm in a hurry to start
producing daily reports at work!

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

That's one of the reasons why many of us consider Lookup Fields to be an
extremely ill-conceived idea (see
http://www.mvps.org/access/lookupfields.htm at "The Access Web" for some
other reasons)

You have to create a query that joins all of the tables, and use that query
for reporting purposes.

 

[Guest]

In your report, delete your field and add an unbound text box. Put something
like this in your unbound text box:

=IIf([CorrespondenceType]=1,"Letter",IIf([CorrespondenceType]=2,"Memo"),IIf([CorrespondenceType]=3,"Invoice")))

Replace :CorrespondenceType: to whatever you have in your table, I just used
that as an example.