Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with msaccess

MS Access remains not user friendly for printing

jeather — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:44:52 -0800

I've switched my Access 2010 database from using Switchboard to using a Navigation Form. It's prettier and faster and it makes it impossible to print reports properly. If I select reportPrintable from my Navigation form, I get to put in my parameter(s). Then I can view it. If I try to print, I print the navigation form around it, too. This happens if I add the print button that Access so kindly provides to the form.

What I have, that sort of works, is a button on the report itself. On Click, I run the macro as follows:

Private Sub Command102_Click()
DoCmd.SelectObject acReport, "reportPrintable", True
DoCmd.RunCommand acCmdPrint
End Sub

This selects the report and prints the current report without the navigation form, but I have to reenter the parameters I used. This isn't reasonable for the long term. There are about a half dozen reports that have to be printed, and each report has either one or two parameters. (Either an ID number, a year, or a year and a month.)

Is there any way to fix this so it works more like the Switchboard used to work, or do I have to go back to it?

Accessible Access Training?

rosswald — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 07:24:54 -0800

Microsoft Access Training/Classes in New York City (Manhattan), or your best suggestion of online materials. A coworker asked if I knew anything about an MS Access class she could take in NYC. The company would be willing to pay for it, but it would preferably only one or two days long.

Good online resources would be accepted also as I had trouble seperating out the chaff on Google, but again, live is preferred.

Thanks!

Classes for programming Access forms - Toronto

jb — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:19:21 -0800

Where in Toronto can I take a class on programming Access 2003 forms? For my work, I need to learn how to program complex forms in Access 2003. I can already set up databases and tables - I need to learn how to program forms beyond what the wizard can do.

I do not learn well from manuals. I have already taken the "advanced" MS Access online course offered by my workplace (and all it had was an introduction to simple forms).

I would like to take a hands-on class, preferably in person.

What I need to learn is how to set up forms that can deal with multiple tables (probably using multiple subforms), and complex skip sequences. I also need to use a switchboard opening.

Formatting MS Access report with subreports and subforms in pivot views

GPF — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:45:12 -0800

Microsoft Access: Help me streamline (or completely automate) creating weekly reports that include tables and charts. I'm almost there, but I just can't wrangle the formatting. Is it me or is it Access? We keep statistics of our library's reference desk in an Access (2007, 2010) database I put together. It's a small enough DB that I can manage creating queries and reports on the fly as needed. I do, however, send around a weekly report that hits the highlights. Thus far, I've been exporting data to Excel and making tables and charts -- like this.

I've been trying to recreate that in the Access database by selecting a date on a form, and pushing a button that opens a PDF preview of a report that has subforms that open in pivot table and pivot chart views. But it comes out looking like this. Serviceable, but I need to:

- understand how reports create blank pages. I've been fiddling with the margins (and googling endlessly) but I can't get the preview to stop making blank pages.

- control column width (and other formatting issues) for the tables.

- show zero value hour/dates on the chart.

But, of course, I might be missing the forest for the trees. Is there another way I can accomplish this? Not only would I like to save myself some time with the weekly reports, but I'd like to make it so that my colleagues can do it themselves. Picking a date, pushing a button, and hitting print is about as sophisticated as it can get.

MS Access is making things harder than they need to be

cuddles.mcsnuggy — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:56:57 -0800

MS Access: I have responsibility for a large database in Access 2007. How can I create a dev copy to experiment with changing forms/layout/queries, etc. which shows record data, but does NOT link to and make changes to data in the tables in the "real" original database? I do not know SQL. Our IT staff was laid off last month. I need to do this without SQL. I understand that I can just save a dev copy with another file name & muck around at will with the forms & layout, etc. without messing up the look of the "real" version ... but I want to also experiment with how the table data itself behaves in these forms by entering sample data and changing existing data in the records of the dev copy. So how I can create a copy of the entire DB including the tables and records, in which I can change any part of the dev copy's infrastructure or data itself, but will not change the records in my main DB? To explain what I mean: Assume the main db is titled "UserDatabase.mbd" located in a folder named Files01 on the server. I save a copy of the entire db titled "DatabaseDev060911.mdb" in a different folder named Files02 (by using file>"save as"). Now I can open "DatabaseDev060911" and goof around all I want with the forms and layout of the dev copy, and the real database "UserDatabase" in the folder Files01 is unchanged. However, right now if I change any of the *record data* or the tables in my dev copy, those records are getting changed in our main db. This is bad. How to not do this? Is there a way when copying a whole database to copy the tables & records to use as sample data so I can experiment with them, but not have that (dev) data linked to the original? This seems like it should be simple but I can't find anything in the help screens or gis on how to do this.

Build an Access database to display survey results

heigh-hothederryo — Sat, 14 May 2011 17:50:57 -0800

I've never used Access; I'm a SQL snowflake and don't take naturally to its norms. Pretend I'm your technology-challenged elderly relative, and tell me how to set up tables to run queries on survey results. I created a survey in surveymonkey, with a combination of free text questions, multiple choice/single answer, and multiple choice/multiple answer questions. Also built in page and question logic. I know it's possible to set up a relational database (and surveymonkey generates relational database tables), but I can't quite picture how I should modify the spreadsheets.
An example of user A's results:
Page 1 - (free-text) name; (multiple choice/single answer) continent
question logic jump
Page 4 (Europe) - (multiple choice/single answer) country
question logic jump
Page 10 (France) - (multiple choice/single answer) Preference 1
question logic jump
Page 35 (free text Preference 1 questions) (multiple choice/single answer) Preference 2 or Done
question logic jump
Page 50 (free text questions) Done

Users B - ZZ will use the same general framework, but land on different pages based on responses to questions with logic. The Continent pages are all alike, as are the country pages and preference pages -- they're asking the same questions about the user's choices in the survey.

I want to be able to query on everything and in combination (e.g., all users in North America; all Preference 1 users regardless of geography; all Africa users who selected Preferences 3 and 5). Help me with the table logic, pretty please (N.B., I do not need assistance in actually creating the tables, just the foundation logic for doing what I want to do).

Need help formatting an Access report from a query and SQL help

desjardins — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:58:55 -0800

I'm having trouble formatting a report in Access that ONLY shows checkboxes that are not checked. I probably need some help on the SQL front. My database is based around a list of tasks. When the person finishes a task, they check it off. I want a report of ONLY the tasks which are incomplete, so I have a query along the lines of this:

SELECT Projects.ProjectID, Projects.ProjectName, Projects.Check01, Projects.Check02, Projects.Check03

FROM Projects

WHERE (((Projects.Check01)=No)) OR (((Projects.Check01)=No)) OR (((Projects.Check01)=No));

This gives me a list of projects for at least one task is not complete. For example, for project "Grocery Shopping," I clipped the coupons but did not make a list or go to the store.

All I want to show on the report is that I still need to make a list and go to the store. So in my report code, I have

Private Sub Detail_Format(Cancel As Integer, FormatCount As Integer)

If Check01 = False Then

Check01.Visible = True

Else

Check01.Visible = False

End If

If Check02 = False Then

Check02.Visible = True

Else

Check02.Visible = False

End If

If Check03 = False Then

Check03.Visible = True

Else

Check03.Visible = False

End If

End Sub

This gives me a blank line where "clipping coupons" would be, because I've finished that task. Is there a way to eliminate the blank lines? I have 25 tasks per project (this is stable, and all of the tasks are the same for every project) so if half of them are finished, the page looks horrible. I would be fine with almost any kind of list (text file, whatever) as long as it ONLY shows the incomplete tasks in some sort of coherent form. I'm using Access 2002 if it matters, but I'll probably be getting 2007 or 2010 soon.

MSAccess, php and empty date/time fields

monkey closet — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:00:47 -0800

How do I check (using php) the existence of data in a date/time field in an access database? I have to build some php pages around an access database (dsnless). No lectures please: I know how bad an idea this is; I don't have a choice!

I'm getting values out of a date/time field. The field isn't required. When values are there, it works fine. When they aren't, the whole thing just falls over. I can't find any way of testing whether it's there beforehand: is_null() comes up false whatever (empty() comes up true, even when there is data), any attempt to convert it to another type or look at its properties breaks it as well.

I can't find a simple way to test whether there's data there or not. Any ideas?

Your advice for finding a new databse guru, please...

Vavuzi — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:56:47 -0800

I need to find a new database guy/gal. Where do I look and how will I know when I've found a good one? Things that may help you point me in the right direction: We're a Windows shop. The database in question is in MS Access. There's around 150,000 records. I'd prefer to stay with Access, but I'd consider changing (all depends on the cost/complexity). I'm looking after becoming more than a little dissatisfied with my current dev team.

So, how do I go about finding a new developer friend?

MS Access: copy data?

jeather — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:46:47 -0800

I can't get my Access database to do what I thought I could. Lots of details inside, again. This is much like the last question.

Students are only ever enrolled in one course (=program). If they graduate, they do not come back to do a different one.

Each course has 3 cost components:

1. Enrollment fee. Identical between courses. Could change between program start dates, so students starting in 2010 pay less than those in 2011.
2. Tuition fee. Different between courses. Could change between program start dates.
3. Kit fee. Different between courses (0 for some). Could change between program start dates.

Obviously, when I change costs for a program, students who are already enrolled shouldn't have their costs changed. I don't need to have the historical costs, but if they are there it is fine as well.

So it seems like my options are "figure out some way to automatically copy the cost information when data is entered" (some by form, some imported via excel spreadsheets -- I can probably force everyone to use one of the two options, in which case I'd prefer excel) or "do the right lookups for the different costs" -- but I can't figure out how to get either of these to work properly. I can redo tables to make either option work correctly.

All my forms and reports look nice, but are still lacking that minor thing called "accurate cost data".

Access database design help

jeather — Wed, 05 May 2010 09:10:24 -0800

I need to create an Access 2007 database to confirm tuition payments for students and I am not sure how to set up the tables. Details within. There are, at any given time, between 120 and 180 students total, in 5 programs. The programs start in some subset of four starting months (Sept, Oct, Feb, May), from one to three of these. Each program has its own cost, which occasionally changes for the new school year. Several of these programs have kits you need to buy, the total cost of which also changes occasionally. Several of these programs have discounts which some students are eligible for (again, this discount changes occasionally). Every student has an enrollment fee on top of tuition and kit. The enrollment fee has been static, but could conceivably change in the future. Obviously if the fee changes after you enroll, you are charged the initial fee, not the changed fee.

Students pay either by cash or by direct deposit. Some direct deposits are charged 5$ -- so the student tells us they deposited 250, but we only get 245, and we credit them 245. We know which students have these fees only after the first deposit. Each payment can go towards any or all of tuition, kit and enrollment fee.

I can easily set up a very simple database with tables for students, payments, and programs and the appropriate links between them, which I then use to confirm that what the front office said was paid has, in fact, been deposited to the correct accounts and that there are no typos, etc. But what I'd like is to be able to be able to generate reports that show how much is outstanding in tuition (by student or by program), kit payments or enrollment fees. I'd also like to be able to use this to print out receipts when payments are received.

I will eventually get inputs in some set of excel sheets (one to add in new students, one for the list of payments that have been received that month, probably). Ideally I'd like the input to be something
like:

student id, cash/transfer, amount, date, for kit?, for tuition?, for enrollment?

as this would be most convenient for other users.

For various reasons, this really would be best done in Access and not another database program.

This isn't homework, and I don't need someone to create the database for me, I'd just like some clues on how to set it up effectively, especially how to deal with the payments. I wouldn't mind clues on how to deal with total payments due for the reports, though I am pretty sure I know how to do that, once I have the rest of it set up properly.

AccessN00bFilter: How do I replace data in a report, and limit the results in my report to a single day/week/month?

Seeba — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 07:19:55 -0800

AccessN00bFilter: How do I replace data in a report, and limit the results in my report to a single day/week/month? I have an access database (Access 2007) with several dozen line-items per day with a dozen or so fields per record, and have created a report that displays the information the way I want it to, but I have a question-- one of my fields is titled "ActualSales", but if the value equals the field (not in the report, but in the same origin-table) "EstimatedSales", then it just displays the value "00 0 00".

I want to set the report up so that there is a it looks up the record and replace "ActualSales" with "EstimatedSales" if that occurs, then be able to set the report to give me only one day's worth of data (or one week, one month, etc--- I have years of information stored, so when I first looked at the report, it was over 8000 pages) I can't change the table because I get all the information automatically, and can't change the incoming format

Is this possible? Thank you for any assistance or directions to look!

How do I make a DB faster?

Vavuzi — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:00:06 -0800

MS Access: How do I turn my database from a tortoise to a hare? (Or, if not a hare, a chipmunk?) Here's what I've got:

MS Access DB split into front and back ends. Front sits on local machines (all XP), back sits on server (MS Server 2003). I have a consultant for the DB and a consultant for the network.

When there's one and only one user connected to the back end, the DB is lightning fast. UNBELIEVABLY fast. The minute that more than one user is connected, everything slows to a crawl. It's been this way for 2.5 years and it drives me nuts. The DB guy blames the network, the network guy blames the DB. Initially, I couldn't tell if it was the network or the DB. I'm now convinced it's the DB.

I've read past questions and googled.

It looks like Access falls to shit once it hits around 50 users. The most we ever have is 7. It doesn't get slower as more users come online: one user = fast, more than one = slow. It runs at the same speed for 7 users as it does for 2.

Is it possible to get the DB running faster or is this as good as it gets? If so, where/how do I start? Any suggestions welcome; I'm willing/wanting to learn so that I can work with my DB guy.

How do I validate a field in Access to DEMAND unique values?

man down under — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:20:16 -0800

MS Access Filter: How do I set a validation rule for a field in a form or table so that Access will immediately recognize that the same value has been used before and tell the user to generate a unique value? I'm using MS Access 2003

I want to have a field (Quote_Number) which serves as the primary key for the QuoteTable, but I want Access to tell me as soon as the focus tries to leave the field if the value is not unique.

As it is Indexed and does not allow duplicates in the table (or form version) Access tells me that it can't allow a duplicate value as the record is completed, but obviously I'd like to be informed of that before the whole Record has been filled in.

I don't want to simply use an Autonumber value, as I want to be able to customise the quote number's for various purposes, and have used an Input Mask to ensure it is a letter followed by a string of three numbers (L999).

This is a noob question, and will either be slap in the face easy to rectify or Google (if I knew what to search for), or horribly complex and it is only my ignorance that leads me to believe this should be simple...either way, I appreciate any help...

Querying the hive mind...

sio42 — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:03:42 -0800

DatabaseFilter: I know more about Access than the average person, but I'm at the point where I need to know more than what I am finding on the Access db sites and in books. I need a faster and more reliable response than I would get from posting on forums. I have taken two trainings my work paid for, but they were on how to use Access, not how to develop in it. And the next level class (and only one) is about VBA, which I'm not quite at yet.

I feel like I need someone to sit down with me as I go through stuff and say, well, you should do this like this because of this reason. How or where can I get this kind of one-on-one? Even if it were via email or the web, I just need reliable, knowledgeable support in my transition phase.

I've been toying with Access for the last few years and I've gotten pretty good at it. I understand relational db theory to some extent and can certainly set up the tables and all that. But when I get into form design, I tend to get a bit lost. I think I understand queries - I can get the info I want pretty much all the time and can usually figure out my mistakes.

But I need to know if I'm doing things "right" or if I'm making things too hard by doing them my self-taught way.

I did not take any db classes in college and honestly just don't have the time to spend after work going to one now. (I tried last semester and it was a complete disaster and very stressful.)

Do I post on craigslist that I want an Access tutor? How would I verify their skills? I'm pretty sure my work will pay for this, but I just need to find the next level of training I need.

I spent Christmas break with a stack of books from the library, like Access Cookbook and a bunch of others. But I still feel like I'm missing some fundamental things and I don't know what they are.

How to export csv with variable number of columns?

JeremiahBritt — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:57:46 -0800

Using a relational table in a one-to-many relationship in Access, what is the best way to export a csv file with one row per record (from the one half) with a variable number of columns (from the many half)? Basically, I have a Senator with one or more staffers. I want to export (CSV) so that it looks like:

Senator 1 info | Staffer 1 info
Senator 2 info | Staffer 1 info | Staffer 2 info | Staffer 3 info
Senator 3 info | Staffer 1 info | Staffer 2 info

One row per senator, but an unknown or changing number of columns.

I'm sure there's a way to do this via query. I have to make this as easy as possible (via a button on a form) for a coworker.

Having a hard time finding an answer via Google.

MS Access...Access Problem

bibbit — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:15:37 -0800

Microsoft Access question: I have an Access 2007 database hosted on a server. I have 10 staff members who use the database. I can get in the database even if someone else is in it. One of my coworkers cannot. Is this typical? I apologize that I have very basic language for this, but this is a pretty basic database. In Access 2007, should multiple users be able to get in the database at one time? We generally would only have 2 or 3 people in it at once, but this one coworker can't get in the database if just one other person has it open.

I've tried working with our IT department on this, but no one there seems to know what to do (or if anything can even be done). How do I troubleshoot this issue? Is it just something we have to deal with in Access?

Alternatives to MS Access?

SpecialK — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:14:39 -0800

MS Access Alternatives? I have a user that needs to keep data in a relational database, but I'd like to advise her against Access because of it's various limitations. She has no programming knowledge. Any suggestions? There's not much money for this, so cheap/free is better. They need to track medical records for a population of animals in a sanctuary. The existing data goes back ten years and is a few MB in size already even dumped to flat file.

The problem is that she's entirely Mac-based at home, and they have multiple people that would need to have access to it at once (which last time I checked was a problem for MS Access), and she'd like to be able to work on it at home sometimes. The school is entirely Windows/Microsoft based. I've suggested FileMaker Pro, but I'm not very familiar with it.

Any suggestions? We'd like to stay away from online-only vendors like Zoho and whatnot that may go poof with the data in the middle of the night.

Help a stupid noob find a good MySQL GUI program

Tuwa — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 15:49:28 -0800

Stupid MySQL noob question: is there a free/free (or at least free-as-in-beer) win32 MySQL frontend that will show graphical representations of tables, allow drag-and-drop editing of their relationships, actually import all of my data, and use MySQL vocabulary and syntax for its queries? I have a MS Access database I've been trying to port to MySQL. After a rather fruitless weekend googling and experimenting, I'm tired of trying this on my own and would like advice. I'm sure I'm missing something obvious but I'm still missing it.

For whatever reason, the MySQL migration kit is truncating table data at about the 300th row. So I've switched from using that to the (tedious) process of exporting each table as a .csv through Access, then trying to import each table one by one.

Webyog/SQLyog will not import my data. I've started with the largest table, with the rows titled correctly and in the correct order, with the Excel/.csv-friendly delimiters, and it always returns the message that it either skipped or deleted 2600 rows.

I have found articles talking about using Access as a frontend to a MySQL database. That sounds interesting, but the trouble is that I don't yet have a MySQL database because I haven't been able to import all of the data in any of the tables. A second trouble is that Access uses different SQL syntax than MySQL and I want to use MySQL syntax so I don't have to take on a second hosting plan.

What I want is a GUI/frontend to MySQL which will a) import a .csv file (not a hard requirement, you'd think), b) not cost me any money, c) show a graphical representation of relationships, d) allow the user to edit relationships by dragging and dropping rows in that graphical representation, and e) use MySQL syntax.

I'd keep banging away at this but I need this project off the ground sooner rather than later. And I'm sure I'm missing something obvious but I'm still missing it. Where is this program? I know it exists.

MS Access query - finding the reocrd with a maximum value

buildmyworld — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:26:29 -0800

In MsAccess, how can I choose the record where a certain value is maximum or minimum? I have multiple rows for each item. Each row includes columns such as: item number, version number, person, task start date, task end date, task result. A given item could have any number of tasks.

I want to run a query that returns one row per item and includes all the information about the last task for that item. In other words, this will be all the same columns as the original table, but only rows where the task start date is maximum for that item number.

My first try was to find the maximum date for each item number and then use that to select the row. But I can't join that back up to the original data because it's a circular reference, so I can't find out the other information about that task.

Any suggestions? I'm guessing this would need to be done as a sql query, but I'm having no luck with Access help or google in finding a starting point.

I'm using Access rather than Excel because I need to be able to drop in different record sets and get identically formatted reports out the other side. I've done this in Excel before by hand, but I can't scale that up for the number of different reports needed.

Technical specs: Access 2003 on Windows XP

Thank you oh all-knowing hive mind.

I seek it here, I seek it there. But mainly in this column.

snailer — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 14:15:38 -0800

Calling MS Access wizards... A batch find and replace conundrum. I would really appreciate a solution to this problem, I just can't phrase it right on google to get the correct answer:

Problem : Access database, with many columns. One column has a serial number, sequential incrementing by 1 each record.

I need to replace given numbers with a word, the same word every time.

So in the column there would be

100123
100124
100125
100126
..
100999

And I need to replace just {100124,100125} with "RECEIVED" or similar. I need to do this with hundreds of entries daily, and it needs to be saved to the table once finished, so a query isn't any use. Doing this every day is pure torture by boredom.

Useful answers will receive my undying adulation, plus three free covert assassinations!

Access Database Problems

benjh — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:01:53 -0800

Access database problems... I have a database which I use to store a set of data. Right now I have 2 Access databases, one which holds the data, and the other which acts as the end-user interface. The database with the data is 1.5GB, and grows every day by 3-4 MB with new data. This is causing the data fielding to be extremely slow.

What are my solutions for this? SQL server? Another database program? It has to run on a Windows platform, and preferably be free due to budget constraints.

MS Access

LairBob — Fri, 20 Aug 2004 17:47:43 -0800

MSAccessFilter: I give up...how can I have the current selection in one control dynamically re-configure the choices available in another? [more inside, obviously] I've been using Access on and off for a couple of years now, and I've been working with relational DBs since the early '80s, so I know that what I'm trying to do isn't outrageous, but I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to do this in Access. (I'm using Access 2003, by the way.) Just to be precise, and not waste anyone's time explaining what I've already tried, here's what I'm trying to do:

1) I've got multiple tables/queries set up--as a general example, let's use "Companies" and "Employees". Employee records are, of course, related by a foreign key to the Company records. (Assume there's an established 1-to-many relationship between the first table and the second, which Access knows about explicitly through the "Relationship" diagram. Referential integrity, the whole thing.)

2) Let's say I've got a datasheet or a form that's got two pull-downs, one for "Company", and the other for "Employee". If I choose "Company A" under the first pull-down, I'd like to dynamically constrain the choices in the "Employee" pull-down to only show records that relate back to that specific Company record. (I'd like the "Employee" pull-down to dynamically show only employees of "Company A", in other words, even though the "Employees" table contains all employees of all companies.)

Is that feasible, using either a table/query datasheet or a form? I know how to create a "hard-wired" SQL query that only pulls out Employees related to an explicit Company key, but that doesn't do me any good. I've tried using "DLookup()", but even copying-and-pasting the example code, I keep getting errors. (And anyway, DLookup() only returns one value, anyway--not the multi-record mini-query I'd need).

- Is there some way to create a dynamic SQL query using "Forms![Form_Name]![Field_Name]" that I'm just missing because of some syntax weirdness? I've tried many ways of making that work, but haven't had any luck.
- Is there just a way to use sub-forms hierarchically, so that the pull-down on one area of a form can constrain the data that's retrieved by a child sub-form?

I kind of feel silly asking something this simple, but I've searched the Access online help base a bazillion different ways, googled endlessly, and gone so far as to buy 2 or 3 Access "how-to" books--I still cannot find a definitive answer to this (even if that answer is "It's impossible.") Is it impossible in a datasheet, but doable somehow in a form? Am I just being an idiot, and missing something blatantly obvious?

Like I said, I know this makes me an old fart, but I started dealing with relational DBs on a CompuColor using dBase II (I actually used to talk to Tate on tech support calls), but that was all pre-SQL. Maybe I'm just being a total moron, or maybe Access just sucks (surprise!), but it's driving me crazy.

Thanks in advance for any help.