How do I link Purchase Form and Dispersal Form

[zimzala20]

I am new to access but have taken a course on operation. I have to track equipment purchases which I do with a form. The question I have is I will be dispersing this equipment at different times and to different places.

How do I link these dispersals to the original purchase order?!?!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[wdrspens]

I would use two tables with an autonumber in the Purchase table and a foreign number in the Dispersal table set as number, not autonumber.
Specifically use two tables, one for the Purchases, say PurchaseT and the other for the Dispersals, say DispersalT, and use autonumber for the PurchaseID, autonumber for the DispersalID, but number for the foreign key in the DispersalT table, say, PurchID, although there is no reason why it should not also be called PurchaseID, however using a different name avoids confusion.
Then link the PurchaseID in the PurchaseT table in a one to many relationship to the PurchID in the DispersalT table. It would be best to chose the join method to show all the records from the Purchase table and only those from the Dispersal table that are equal. That way you would see which of the items purchased have not been disposed of at any given time.

[orange]

In addition to the advice offered by wdrspens, the underlying issue is table/database structure. You need to get the appropriate tables configured before focusing on Forms.

There are data models and business rules related to Purchase Orders here

http://www.databaseanswers.org/data_...ders/index.htm
http://www.databaseanswers.org/data_...ders/facts.htm

If you want to understand more of why this is important, see
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/forum/topic238.html and review the first 3 topics at least.