Switching Between a Table and Form

[RonW]

Is it possible to switch between a table and a form in Access and have the
record be the same? I was a Paradox user and am switching to Access. In
Paradox it was a simple F7 key and it was there. Surely there is that
facility in Access but I can't seem to find it. HELP.

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Ron

In Access, tables store data, forms display it.

You're describing the ability to do something that might not be too good an
idea for the casual user. Tables in Access don't have nearly the level of
control (for you, the developer) that forms have.

And you've described a "how", as in how you want to do something. If you'll
explain a bit more about the "why", folks here may be able to offer
alternate solutions.

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[RonW]

Jeff:

Thanks for the comments. At best I am a casual user, certainly not a
developer. I am new to Access, but have used Paradox for 20 years. I'm
trying to get the same usability from Access which was in Paradox, that being
to be working in a table (multi-record), ie, entering data, and switch out to
a form (single record) showing the same record. In Paradox that was as
simple as an F7 keystroke and vice versa. It allowed me the ability to enter
data in the most expedient fashion possible at the time.

I hope I've been able to clarify my needs about this. This is basic stuff
in Paradox, and I feel like it's in Access too, but I can't yet find it.

Thanks, Ron

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Ron

I'm not aware of a way to do that in Access (15+ years here...).

As I said, working directly in Access tables is not a good idea. Whether
you are a developer or a casual user, still not a very good idea.

Why? As in "why do you want to be able to switch between a form and a
table?" What will doing that allow you to do?

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

 

[RonW]

Jeff: Maybe it's just a different philosophical approach that the producers
of Paradox all those years ago took over the way Microsoft sees this today.
And all my experience using a database is based on Paradox. I think I can
see where you are coming from on this, but as a user for the limited scope in
which I used it, Paradox was great. I used it from DOS through it's most
recent iteration and it served my needs. It's support is fading fast,
therefore I'm relagated to an alternative. I'm having to re-think the way I
look at this and see that this relational data base is way ahead of the flat
file thinking which I had grown accoustomed to with the way I used Paradox.
Must change my thinking and move on. I appreciate your help and insight. Ron

 

[Larry Linson]

You doom yourself to a life of frustration when you desire one piece of
software to BE another.

Many of us here made the switch from Paradox to Access, and found that
Access removed beaucoup limitations. When Access was first released, there
were several software houses in this area specializing in Paradox. As far
as I know, today, there are none.

If you feel absolutely compelled to "edit a table", you can display an
Access form in "datasheet view", which will preserve [some|most|all] of the
custom actions that you defined for Controls on the Form.

You can also use "continuous forms view", which offers the look of
datasheet, but does not expose all the shorcuts to allow "mischief".

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP