Multiple Selections in a Drop Down

[Emma]

Hi I recently upgraded my database from 2003 to 2007. I would like to have
all my drop down menus allow for multiple selection is there an easy way to
do this or do I have to go through the wizard for each drop down and recreate
it?

 

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Fri, 8 May 2009 12:59:02 -0700, Emma

What do you mean with a "drop down menu"?
Usually the term "drop down" is used interchangably with "combobox",
which is a single-select UI element.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[Armen Stein]

On Fri, 8 May 2009 12:59:02 -0700, Emma

What do you mean with a "drop down menu"?
Usually the term "drop down" is used interchangably with "combobox",
which is a single-select UI element.

Well, 2007 now supports multi-value fields, which does have a
multi-select interface with comboboxes. However, most developers
avoid MVFs as they can cause other problems later.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/18/multivalued_datatypes_access/

Instead, what you should probably do is have your multiple values each
stored in a record in a related child table. Then you can use a
continuous form with a combobox on each row to look up your values. If
you want some advice on setting this up, post back with a description
of the data you need to store.

Armen Stein
Microsoft Access MVP
www.JStreetTech.com

 

[Larry Linson]

Well, 2007 now supports multi-value fields, which
does have a multi-select interface with comboboxes.
However, most developers avoid MVFs as they
can cause other problems later.

Armen, most of the developers _I_ know would quote michka's ultimate
distaste phrase, "I'd rather slide down a giant razor blade into a vat of
iodine than" _use multivalue fields_. Others would say that "the shadowy
figure seen fleetingly down the halls at Redmond is the shade of Ed Codd,
whose eternal rest was interrupted by the implementation of MVF".

Larry

 

[Armen Stein]

Armen, most of the developers _I_ know would quote michka's ultimate
distaste phrase, "I'd rather slide down a giant razor blade into a vat of
iodine than" _use multivalue fields_. Others would say that "the shadowy
figure seen fleetingly down the halls at Redmond is the shade of Ed Codd,
whose eternal rest was interrupted by the implementation of MVF".

Larry

Hi Larry,

Sure, but I wanted to let the OP know that they exist, since they
would probably hear about them anyway. And I was trying to be
diplomatic, even though as a developer I hate them too.

Well to be more specific, I hate the hidden database implementation of
them. I actually wish the Access team would KEEP the MVF UI, but
allow us to implement it with honest-to-Codd cross-reference tables.

Armen Stein
Microsoft Access MVP
www.JStreetTech.com