how many subforms?

[buggirl]

I'm trying to set up a new form incorporating data five separate tables.

1 - tbl sample (location info)
2 - tbl pool (site info within a location)
3 - tbl sample type (collection technique used at a site - we use several at
each site)
4 - tbl fish taxonomy (nickname (=FISH_NAME), genus, species, ETC)
5 - tbl fish count (number of fish at a given site within a location)

The first three tables are nested within each other and I have already
established joins between them.
The last two tables are joined by FISH_NAME.
Tbl fish count is joined to tbl sample type via SAMPLE_PK.

What I would really like to do is have a form with SAMPLE_ID, POOL_ID and
SAMPLE_TYPE and then a subform with FISH_NAME and FISH_COUNT.

I have two questions:

1. When I set up the form, why does it automatically populate with all of
the data from tbl sample type?
2. Do I need to make two subforms???? Is it possible to make one subform
from two tables??

I have tried to set this up using a billion different ways and I would love
to find a simple answer.

Thanks in advance,

buggirl

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

I have two questions:

1. When I set up the form, why does it automatically populate with all of
the data from tbl sample type?

Because the default is to bind the data to the form. You can set the form to
be Data Entry in the form's property sheet, and you'll only see blank
records.

2. Do I need to make two subforms???? Is it possible to make one subform
from two tables??

You probably should. You can easily display data from 2 different tables,
but it is difficult (not impossible) to build a query that allows updating 2
different tables. If you like, before building the form, just work on the
query, until it allows updating to both tables.