Must you include all ID's in a multi-table query?

[Will]

If you have a string of tables... that are related to each other...

tblA to tblB
tblB to tblC
tblC to tblD
tblD to tblE
tblE to tblF

and you want to create a query to get some fields from each table...

must you include the linking ID field from each table in the query... even
though you may not want to display the data in the Form you will build on
the query??

thanks for any help

 

[Douglas J Steele]

Yes and no.

The ID fields are required to link the tables, but you don't have to display
the fields.

On the other hand, the query might not be updatable unless you include the
ID fields. See
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/off2000/html/acconDeterminingWhenCanUpdateDataQueryS.asp
and the page it links to,
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/e...anUpdateDataInQueryWhoseTablesHaveOnetomS.asp
for details.

However, just because a field is in a query doesn't mean that you have to
display it on a form or report.