Need a form that will give the user the ability to change field contents

[JNariss]

Hello,

Is there a way to create a form which will give my user the abilty to
pull up an identical form that has already been entered into my
database but allows them to make changes?

My database has a table called Requests and a form called Requests. The
user opens up the form and fills out a request. However, sometimes the
user may not know all of the information to enter into the form. For
example the user may not have all the input for the "Detailed
Description" field so they will need to be able to pull up Requests to
add some information.

I have a auto-number field called "Request ID" which is what I use to
tie all my relationships together so I would like the user to be able
to enter the Request ID and then make a change to the form.

Would it be a good idea to create a custom parameter query so the user
can enter the request id and by clicking submit it will open a form so
they can change the information or add information? OR is there another
way to go about this?

Thanks,
-Justine

 

[Guest]

If the 'detailed description' is already in the database, why have a user
enter it again? The detailed descriptions should be stored in a separate
table and accessed via a foreign key.
You need to look more closely at your database design and table structures.

-Dorian

 

[JNariss]

Dorian,

Thanks for the reply but maybe I wasn't clear enough.

My Request table has many fields and detailed decription is just one of
the fields. It is not a required field only the "brief description" is
required for the users. Other fields I have are "business benefit" and
"researched software".

So.......for say a user enters a request and submits it and that night
(or next week for that matter) goes and researches software, they will
need to be able to pull up their original request to enter in the
software they researched.

It would be similar to a database that is used as an address book and
someones address changes. I would like to pull up the persons
information by ID # and see the old informtion giving me the ability to
enter new information.

Does this make sense?

Thanks,
-Justine

 

[John Vinson]

Hello,

Is there a way to create a form which will give my user the abilty to
pull up an identical form that has already been entered into my
database but allows them to make changes?

Huh??? A Form isn't "entered into the database". IT's just a window, a
tool to allow you to edit data in Tables. Forms, by default, *already*
allow you to make changes; you have to go to some extra effort to
prevent it!

My database has a table called Requests and a form called Requests. The
user opens up the form and fills out a request. However, sometimes the
user may not know all of the information to enter into the form. For
example the user may not have all the input for the "Detailed
Description" field so they will need to be able to pull up Requests to
add some information.

I have a auto-number field called "Request ID" which is what I use to
tie all my relationships together so I would like the user to be able
to enter the Request ID and then make a change to the form.

Would it be a good idea to create a custom parameter query so the user
can enter the request id and by clicking submit it will open a form so
they can change the information or add information? OR is there another
way to go about this?

It may be that you have set the Requests form's DataEntry property to
True: this will allow you to enter new records but not edit existing
ones. By default this property is False. Consider turning off
DataEntry; you can then use the Toolbox Combo Box tool to create a
combo to "find an existing record". The user could select a request
from the combo, and Access will jump to that record, allowing it to be
edited.

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[JNariss]

Huh??? A Form isn't "entered into the database". IT's just a window, a

tool to allow you to edit data in Tables. Forms, by default, *already*
allow you to make changes; you have to go to some extra effort to
prevent it!

Maybe I worded it incorrectly by saying "entered into the database".
But.....I only ask b/c I have experimented with using MS InfoPath and
it gave me the ability to create a form for one of my other databases
where I create a data connection between InfoPath and Access. Here I
add the tables into Infopath and it automaticaly separates them into
query data and table data. InfoPath then gives me the ability to use
certain query fields to pull up records and then the form (below the
query) populates with existing information already entered in the table
so my employees can edit. I like how Infopath works that way and I
thought maybe Access could do something similar. However I have ran
into many problems with InfoPath (such as it not having the ability to
hold more than a 255 character count) and other glitches that don't
allow me to do exactly what I need with the database I am working on
now. So I have to stick with Access.


BESIDES ALL THAT.........Will setting that "Data Entry" property back
to False override the other information (records) in the table?

And just for my curiosity, how is it that you know so much??? You
always seem to be answering my questions when I need it the most. I
really appreciate all your help ( I now find myself trying to answer
other peoples problems during the process of solving mine. :~)

-Justine

 

[John Vinson]

Maybe I worded it incorrectly by saying "entered into the database".
But.....I only ask b/c I have experimented with using MS InfoPath and
it gave me the ability to create a form for one of my other databases
where I create a data connection between InfoPath and Access. Here I
add the tables into Infopath and it automaticaly separates them into
query data and table data. InfoPath then gives me the ability to use
certain query fields to pull up records and then the form (below the
query) populates with existing information already entered in the table
so my employees can edit. I like how Infopath works that way and I
thought maybe Access could do something similar. However I have ran
into many problems with InfoPath (such as it not having the ability to
hold more than a 255 character count) and other glitches that don't
allow me to do exactly what I need with the database I am working on
now. So I have to stick with Access.

Well, you know a heck of a lot more about InfoPath than I do (I've
never used it). I'm sure Access can do most of the things that
InfoPath does... *but it will do them differently*; it's often harder
to "unlearn" "The Way This Is Always Done" and learn a different way
that "This Is Always Done" when moving from one programming
environment to another.

BESIDES ALL THAT.........Will setting that "Data Entry" property back
to False override the other information (records) in the table?

Not at all. The Table is the repository for the data; changing the
properties of the tool that you use to look at those records will not
affect what's stored in the table at all.

And just for my curiosity, how is it that you know so much??? You
always seem to be answering my questions when I need it the most. I
really appreciate all your help ( I now find myself trying to answer
other peoples problems during the process of solving mine. :~)

Well... that's exactly how I got to know what I do... answering other
people's questions, here and (earlier) on CompuServe. I'd had some
training in relational databases (Oracle, at a big company) and was
able to build on that, mainly through learning-by-teaching right here
in the newsgroups.

Glad to be of assistance!
John W. Vinson[MVP]