Modifying Downloaded Template in Access 2007

[confused Admin. Assitant]

I have recently started useing Access 2007. I went through the online
training but was no help. I know the basic fundamentals. My problem is I
wanted to use a downloaded template to create an order database. I found a
very useful download but the template won't allow me to enter our own order
numbers or Product Id's. These fields auto populate and will not let me edit
them.

Please Help!

 

[Dustin B]

Have you tried going to the design view of the tables and looking at the the
Date Type for the fields that it is assigning. They are probably on
Auto-Number. Change the data type and you should be able to enter your own
numbers.

 

[Ken Sheridan]

Dustin is very likely right about the columns being autonumbers. If your
order numbers and/or product IDs are entirely numeric, without any gaps, you
can use a number data type; otherwise use a text data type. If numeric and
you use leading zeros, e.g. 00012, 00123 then format the column 00000 (or
whatever the length of the number is).

If you do change the primary key columns of the orders and/or products
tables to text be sure to change the foreign key columns in any referencing
tables to text also. You'll most probably have something like an
OrderDetails table for instance with foreign keys OrderID and ProductID of
number data type, which would also need changing to text.

Another thing you will need to watch out for is if the template at any time
inserts rows into a table via code or an 'append' query. It might for
instance allow you to type a new product name into a combo box in an orders
form or subform and have it automatically added to a Products table. With an
autonumber ProductID the value would be added automatically, which would not
be the case with a user-entered value. This example is probably unlikely as
there would almost certainly be other columns into which data needs be
entered as well as the product name, e.g. a unit price, so it would be more
likely to open another form for this when a new product name is entered in a
combo box. There could be other similar examples, however.

Ken Sheridan
Stafford, England