table design/limiting options on (combo box?)

[Guest]

When you design your DB and you know that you're going to have over 100
things on a drop down list for users to choose from during input, what can be
altered during the design phase to eliminate someone having to scroll through
100+ things to find the correct one for that particular record entry?

 

[Joan Wild]

You can perhaps categorize the items, and then have the user choose the
category first, and then limit the items combo to only that category.
http://www.mvps.org/access/forms/frm0028.htm

If the data can't be categorized, you can take steps to manage large
combobox lists. See
http://www.allenbrowne.com/ser-32.html

 

[Guest]

Thanks! Just what I needed. One further question: in my DB, users will
probably type in some options that are not in the list at all. What happens
(or could happen) in that case?
--
Regards,

Rod Smothers

You can perhaps categorize the items, and then have the user choose the
category first, and then limit the items combo to only that category.
http://www.mvps.org/access/forms/frm0028.htm

If the data can't be categorized, you can take steps to manage large
combobox lists. See
http://www.allenbrowne.com/ser-32.html

 

[Guest]

One other thing.....even if I use categories, do I still have to have a
single table with all the individual items listed on it?
--
Regards,

Rod Smothers

You can perhaps categorize the items, and then have the user choose the
category first, and then limit the items combo to only that category.
http://www.mvps.org/access/forms/frm0028.htm

If the data can't be categorized, you can take steps to manage large
combobox lists. See
http://www.allenbrowne.com/ser-32.html

 

[Van T. Dinh]

It is up to you at the developer how the DB will action ... You can simply
pst a MessageBox or even allow the user to add an entry in the Table being
used as the source for the ComboBox.

For example, see The Access Web article:

http://www.mvps.org/access/forms/frm0015.htm

--
HTH
Van T. Dinh
MVP (Access)

Thanks! Just what I needed. One further question: in my DB, users will
probably type in some options that are not in the list at all. What
happens
(or could happen) in that case?

 

[Van T. Dinh]

Yes but each item must be classified into a particular category.

 

[Guest]

OK, so I have a table with all my 100+ items listed in a field called "items"
and I have a second field on that table called "categories" so that each item
is in one of about a dozen categories, right?

Do I think have to have a second table with JUST the dozen categories listed
on it?

 

[Joan Wild]

OK, so I have a table with all my 100+ items listed in a field called
"items" and I have a second field on that table called "categories"
so that each item is in one of about a dozen categories, right?

No I would think that each category might have about a dozen items. An item
belongs in only one category.

Do I think have to have a second table with JUST the dozen categories
listed on it?

Yes.