Northwind question

[Matt1]

In the Northwind data base (2003 I think) the employees table has a field
"Employee ID" with the data type set to "Auto number".

There is also a table "Orders" which has a field "Employee ID (caption
Employee)" and the data type "Number".

These two tables have a one to many relationship.

What I'm not able to understand is how come the field "Employee ID in the
orders table is able to display text? I've tried to reproduce this but have
been unable to!

Please keep the answer simple and if you are able point me in the direction
of some reading to help me understand whats going on.

Thanks in advance

 

[Brendan Reynolds]

In the Northwind data base (2003 I think) the employees table has a field
"Employee ID" with the data type set to "Auto number".

There is also a table "Orders" which has a field "Employee ID (caption
Employee)" and the data type "Number".

These two tables have a one to many relationship.

What I'm not able to understand is how come the field "Employee ID in the
orders table is able to display text? I've tried to reproduce this but
have
been unable to!

Please keep the answer simple and if you are able point me in the
direction
of some reading to help me understand whats going on.

Thanks in advance

It's a lookup field. Rather than trying to write my own explanation of what
a lookup field is, I tried a Google search. Here's the result ...

http://www.google.ie/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=microsoft+access+lookup+wizard

Most experienced Access developers will advise you not to use them. Here's
why ...

http://www.mvps.org/access/lookupfields.htm

 

[Evi]

Make a copy of Northwind so that you can disect it.

Go to the Orders table in Design View.
Click on EmployeeID
Go down to where there are two tabs. One says General. The one behind it
says Lookup.
Click on Lookup.
Click next to the word Display Control and choose Text box.
Save and look at your table in normal view.
Now you will see the ugly truth.
You will see a number which is the EmployeeID number of that Employee in the
Employee Table.
Now forget you have ever seen the option to use a combo box in a table and
promise everyone faithfully that you will only use combo boxes in forms
where you can code all sorts of good things into them
Evi