Setting up field to have contents of another field

[MN]

I am using a program called IDWorks which is reading and writing to an
MS Access format database. The IDWorks program can't adjust the
formatting on a displayed field in a way that we need so I need a way to
duplicate a field in Access so that it will have the exact copy of the
other field. Is there some way to have a field definition set up so that
it has the exact same contents? (ex. an entry such as "=[field1]"). For
that second field, is there a way to display only the first character of
the field through formatting? (ex. display "J" if the full field content
is "John")

Thanks.

 

[John Vinson]

I am using a program called IDWorks which is reading and writing to an
MS Access format database. The IDWorks program can't adjust the
formatting on a displayed field in a way that we need so I need a way to
duplicate a field in Access so that it will have the exact copy of the
other field. Is there some way to have a field definition set up so that
it has the exact same contents? (ex. an entry such as "=[field1]"). For
that second field, is there a way to display only the first character of
the field through formatting? (ex. display "J" if the full field content
is "John")

Thanks.

It's almost certainly NOT necessary to store the field redundantly in
order to do this. No, you cannot have a Table set up to automatically
do so.

Can IDWorks link to a Query, rather than directly to a Table? If so,
you can just select the field twice. Or, to see only the first
character of the field, use a calculated field such as

Initial: Left([field1], 1)


John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[MN]

I am using a program called IDWorks which is reading and writing to an
MS Access format database. The IDWorks program can't adjust the
formatting on a displayed field in a way that we need so I need a way to
duplicate a field in Access so that it will have the exact copy of the
other field. Is there some way to have a field definition set up so that
it has the exact same contents? (ex. an entry such as "=[field1]"). For
that second field, is there a way to display only the first character of
the field through formatting? (ex. display "J" if the full field content
is "John")

Thanks.

It's almost certainly NOT necessary to store the field redundantly in
order to do this. No, you cannot have a Table set up to automatically
do so.

Can IDWorks link to a Query, rather than directly to a Table? If so,
you can just select the field twice. Or, to see only the first
character of the field, use a calculated field such as

Initial: Left([field1], 1)

I wish that I could do something like that but I'm unfortunately limited
by what IDWorks can access. It basically only accesses the tables and
data. It cannot access queries, forms, or reports.

 

[John Vinson]

I wish that I could do something like that but I'm unfortunately limited
by what IDWorks can access. It basically only accesses the tables and
data. It cannot access queries, forms, or reports.

TRULY bizarre. It can access Forms but not queries!!!??

Two suggestions then: use a Form, with two textboxes bound to the same
field (or, use one with the =Left() expression); or, run an Update
query to populate the second field.

How is data being entered into the table normally?

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[Tim]

TRULY bizarre. It can access Forms but not queries!!!??

Two suggestions then: use a Form, with two textboxes bound to the same
field (or, use one with the =Left() expression); or, run an Update
query to populate the second field.

How is data being entered into the table normally?

John W. Vinson[MVP]

It gets weirder ... it actually can't even access a form. Basically,
IDWorks is just using an Access-format database to store its data. It's
similar to another program writing its data to a comma-delimited text
file or an XML file.

 

[John Vinson]

It gets weirder ... it actually can't even access a form. Basically,
IDWorks is just using an Access-format database to store its data. It's
similar to another program writing its data to a comma-delimited text
file or an XML file.

OK. So IDWorks writes data into this table, and you need to - what -
modify the table? add this other one-letter field? - and have IDWorks
read the new table back out?

WHat's the process here? What are you actually trying to accomplish,
in Access?

John W. Vinson[MVP]

 

[Tim]

OK. So IDWorks writes data into this table, and you need to - what -
modify the table? add this other one-letter field? - and have IDWorks
read the new table back out?

Exactly. That way I can apply different formatting to the 2 different
fields which both have the same data -- I'd like one field to just
duplicate the data on the fly, kind of like a shortcut in Windows or a
symbolic link in Unix. It involves a problem with needing to place the
full name on the front of an id card and encoding just a portion of the
name on the magnetic stripe.

 

[John Vinson]

Exactly. That way I can apply different formatting to the 2 different
fields which both have the same data -- I'd like one field to just
duplicate the data on the fly, kind of like a shortcut in Windows or a
symbolic link in Unix. It involves a problem with needing to place the
full name on the front of an id card and encoding just a portion of the
name on the magnetic stripe.

Then you'll need to run an Update query in some appropriate event.

A Format *will not do what you want*. Formatting will change how text
is displayed, but it will not *truncate* or change the actual content
of text; and formatting isn't applied when you export data in any
case.

John W. Vinson[MVP]