Inserting a new record into an existing table

[Guest]

I am making a database of addresses for my wedding announcements. I am
putting the addresses in a specific order. I noticed that I missed a couple
of people who need to be inserted into the part of the table that is already
complete. Auto-numbering is on and when I try to insert a record it always
puts it at the bottom of the list. How do I insert them where I want them?

 

[Guest]

A table may look like a spreadsheet, but it is not. The order of records in
a table is irrelevant. To get the records in order you would use a query.
One way is to click Queries in the database window (the thing that shows up
when you first open a database), then double click Create in Design View.
Add the table you want, close the Add dialog box, double click the asterisk,
then double click the LastName field. Below LastName click in Sort, and
choose Ascending or Descending. The asterisk adds all fields to the query,
and adding the individual field lets you sort by that field. You could also
add all of the fields individually, either by double clicking or by dragging
them to the design grid. Sort by any field you like in any case
This is very basic, but is probably enough information for somebody who is
in the midst of wedding planning to accomplish a specific project.

 

[Guest]

The response from BruceM should be sufficient, assuming you want to sort
guest names alphabetically. But you do not specify that this is your intent.
You could sort by any other field in your table, say, city or state or zip
code. Do you want to sort according to categories such as "his family," "her
family," "his friends," and "her friends"? You will have to add a Category
field to your table and, for each record, enter which category that
name/address belongs in. You can then sort by that category. If you want to
also sort each category by last name alphabetically, make sure your Category
field comes before (is to the left of) your LastName field, or whatever other
field you may wish to sort on in your table. That's because, if I understand
correctly (someone correct me if I'm wrong), when you sort on more than one
field, Access will sort on the field it comes to first (going left to right),
then the next field in order, etc. So fields must be placed, left to right,
in the order you want to sort them. You can use this method to sort on any
group of categories, such as level of priority (1-5, high-medium-low).

What if you want to sort every single record in a different, specific order?
All I can suggest is to create a MyOrder field. Then you will have to enter
your specific order for each individual record. If that changes, such as
finding a couple you missed, as you mentioned, you would have to determine
the order # where they belong, and change that number for each record below
that. I know--too much work. Maybe you could divide them into one set of
categories (Category field), then set a specific order within each category
(SubcategoryOrder). Then you would simply sort on these catgory fields (as
many as you need), starting with the braodest category and driling down to
the most specific. (First sort on "His/Her/FamilyFriends". Next, sort on
"Priority". Finally, sort on MyOrder. So you could add a new name to the
subset "HisFamily" and set the priority for that record as "LeveII" Now you
see that you alreay have 25 names in that category subset "HisFamily,"
"LevelII", and this name belongs in slot#11. So change the current #11-25 to
be #12-26, one record at a time, and give your new record #11. So you have to
change 15 records to add one new record. But that's better than changing 200
records below the new record. You change 15 records, but the other 185 are in
other categories that don't need to be adjusted.

I hope this is helpful to someone, somewhere.

Just out of curiosity, I'd love to know how you want to sort your addresses,
if you don't mind sharing. I'm hoping it will be something very unusual and
esoteric. That would reassure me that there's SOMEONE else out there who
thinks the way I do.

Good luck, and Best Wishes.

 

[Guest]

I ended up doing different tables for different groups of guest: family,
friends, parents friends, ect. The list I have the question on is my family
list. I have a large family and didn't want to miss anyone so I was entering
them in birth order starting with the olderest, all of their children in
order, and then the next oldest. I misses a couple of my cousins who were
recently married and are no longer living at home. THey are the ones who are
numbered out of secence. THanks for your replies. I think they are helpful,
although I think I would have been happier if I had stuck with the idea of
doing this on excel since I understand the spreadsheets better then these
databases.

 

[Guest]

You need to make a query. I repeat, the order of records in a table is
irrelevant. You are using Access to create spreadsheets. Your approach is
more suited to a spreadsheet. There's nothing wrong with spreadsheets. For
a mailing list a spreadsheet could very well be the best choice. If you
would like to use Access, make a query as I described, except instead of
LastName add the DOB field in addition to the asterisk, then sort ascending
(click in the Sort row in query design view in order to make that choice).
As the other response stated, you can sort from left to right, first by one
field, then another in order to sort by category (friend, family, etc.), then
by DOB. It would be better to have everybody in one table, and a category
field for sorting by friend, family, etc. than to maintain separate tables.
That approach is suited to spreadsheets, but probably is not the best for a
relational database.
Access is a versatile and powerful program, but there is a learning curve.
Since you mentioned that Excel might have been easier since you alredy know
it, and if you would rather not spend your wedding planning time learning
Access, click on a table, then click File > Export, and select Excel in the
Save As Type box.