creating database with multiple column

[ultimate]

I am creating databases for public survey which will be totally numerical. Currently I need to create a database which will be having multiple rows. Kindly anyone tell me how to create such design. This data dont have primary key, a particular field will be repeated often. The database has to be created with fixed column width. So far I have dealt with single column designs only. Please find the sample of the database type that has to be created. This is a single response and we need to feed numerous response.

[June7]

I don't understand any of your post. I can't imagine a db that doesn't have multiple rows, nor one with only single column. I looked at the attachment and don't have any idea what this is about, and I see at least two alpha characters, not just numbers. You have posted this thread in an Access forum. How does your situation relate to an Access db?

[ultimate]

Thanks for sparing your precious time. I am totally new to access. My terminologies may be wrong. What I need to have is a database with fixed column width. For eg. if the the response for a particualar issue should be found only in 75th column it has to be there only there may be many other questions which dont have a response or so which has to be left blank etc. But the main thing here is that the column no. is fixed.

I had already made a simple design where the column number is not exceeding 850 and a single response will be in a single row.

Now where I am seeking help is that the question itself is a bit complex. It is divided into various sections. The attachment i had given is the response from two different persons. The question is divided into 93 sections. I need to bring each section in a seperate row. So one response will be having 95 rows. The first five column in the attachment denotes the id of that question so 22001 is a single person, the next three columns ie 6 to 8 denotes the section in that particular question, and the remaining column is the response that has been received.

As I already told I am totally new to access, if this kind of design cannot be created in access, Kindly let me know which is the best option to create such kind of db.

[June7]

Access doesn't have 'fixed column width' (I have no idea if any off-the-shelf database app does). Text datatype fields can be limited to a maximum number of characters allowed to be entered. If less characters are entered, there is no padding or reserving the remainder. Date and number datatypes have other constraints. You can use Access to store and manage data and then if you need to export to 'fixed column width' file, this can be accommodated.

Review the 'sticky' thread tutorials found at http://forums.aspfree.com/microsoft-access-help-18/

[ultimate]

I brought the output of the data by exporting it only. Could you please tell me how to create a db like the one which i had attached. For the fiixed column again i will export it and bring the option but before that i want to know how to create this type of db. If not in access which is the best one to create such db. Is it possible in access to break the column, if yes how can we do this?

[June7]

The example file you posted is not a database, it is a text file.

You created that file by export from where?

You want to know how to create that file from Access? This is a Text File export and can be done manually from menu or programmatically. As a test, create a table in an Access file, do the export. Does this get you what you want?

Break what column and when? You can import a text file into Access and in the import dialog you can define the column breaks. Again, test this with the Access utility.

[ultimate]

Thanks for your support. I designed it in ms access, entered the details in it and exported it to text files since I needed the exact format. I want to know how to make design to get an output like document 19.(the attachment that I have given already). And could you please explain how to make column breaks in brief.
I tried to upload my previous design but due to file size it is getting failed.

[rpeare]

I would suggest posting a document that contains all the data elements of your survey. Your use of terminology is not really making sense to me and without an example of what you're trying to do it's going to be next to impossible to offer you suggestions you can follow.

[orange]

I agree with other responders, it isn't clear what you are trying to do, nor how.
There is a poster/responder on other forums that has created a Survey database in ms access. This db is often recommended to others ho are about to undertake a survey data base design.
Info about that application and its free availability is given here
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/f...ey_topic3.html

I have NOT used this, but have participated in same forum as Duane Hookom who is an excellent responder and MS ACCESS MVP.

[ultimate]

I am attaching the soft copy of the document, which I have to make the design.
In pg 1 101-105 means that 01 to 05 is the column no. that the answer has to be keyed, 1 is the section number of this particular questionaire. 106-108 denotes the section number that is 001. column number 109-110 is not mentioned which means that this column has to be blank. In this way we need to proceed further till column number 192. And till this the output should be in a single line.
After that starts 211 column number which means that it is the second section of the questionaire the column number that the response has to be keyed is 11 and 2 is the section number. Where ever a new section begins we have to insert the serial number followed by the section number and then the response for that particular section.
This is the way the output has to be created and document 19 (the attachment) is a sample output.
The attached question is having 65 sections for which I have to create the db, since file size is exceeding I had made it short.
I want to know how to create a database in this way in ms access? Please help.

[rpeare]

That is an extremely long survey that appears to be a series of cascading terminate/continue decisions I'm still not quite sure what you're attempting to do with the document 19 (attempting to import existing information into a table?) or whether it's an example of what you need your output to be.

Without going through and counting, how many individual pieces of data do you intend to collect assuming a single person gets through all of the screening? I'm not sure about access 2007+ but older versions had a field limit of 255 which you may be going over I'm not sure.

If you're trying to create a data entry table you should ALWAYS keep a primary key, if nothing else it will tell you in which order data was entered so you can go back to specific surveys and review information and be able to match them to a specific paper copy.

So my main questions because I'm not sure I understand are:

1. Do you have existing data (document 19?) that you are trying to import into a table?
1b. If you're trying to import data in a format consistent with document19, do you have a definition for every possible field in that file and is it truly fixed width (there would be blank spaces where no response was given or if a survey was terminated part way) or can fields vary in position within the file?

OR
2. Are you attempting to create a database from scratch that will allow you to do data entry?
2a. Are you going to do data entry on a form or on the table itself?
2b. How many people are going to be doing data entry at one time?
2c.

[orange]

I have no experience with this. However, I would recommend the following approach

. do some google searches looking for Examples of Integration of MS Word and Ms Access.
. seek out other forums that may focus on MS Office product integration questions

If I recall correctly, in the past Helen Feddema (Access Archon) posted info on using Access and Word.

It appears, after review of this thread, that you have a very explicit document format in MS Word and now you are trying to find a way to record the info in MS ACCESS.

As others have said, your data doesn't represent a relation database, it is a text file.

After posting, I realize that rpeare responded while I was typing, and is (it seems) as confused as the rest of us.

It still isn't clear to me of how the text file was created, or if the data exists in Word.

If all I had was the text file and your questionnaire layout, one approach may be to consider the text file records as a collection/listing of several record types.

I don't know how the individual records are identified in the text file, nor how to link the various record types to the same questionnaire-- and then to identify the respondent or whatever.

From my perspective, which could be way-off base, you have a bunch of different record in text format, and a questionnaire. Linking these up into a database just seems like a large uphill battle -- but you are familiar with the environment and perhaps can see your way through this.

Post back if you have specific questions. I'm sure we'd all like to see and learn from your experience.

[ultimate]

I am attempting to create a database from scratch that will allow me to do data entry.
I am new to access so I am unsure whether i have to use a form or table, but the previous design and we did was done in table only, but it was a simple question without any sections in it. so we didn't have any problem in it. Atleast a group 10 people will be doing data entry in it at a time.
The client has given the questionaire and wants me to create a db in the same format he has given ie doc 19.
If there is any other option to upload I will send u the previous design and the output that was created, I couldn't do because of the huge file size.

[orange]

What actually exists at this time?
Do you have completed forms?Is this in Word?
Where does the text file come from?
Is the questionnaire data in some sort of electronic form at this time?

[ultimate]

Orange,
Thanks for your reply. As you have mentioned, the question in other words we can say it is a group of questions bunched into one. It has 65 sections & I was told that there are some questions which run much more than this and this is the smallest one of its type.
I dont know how document 19 was created but a similar simple question we had created the database in which we designed in access, done data entry in access and exported it into a text file with fixed width, to get the desired output format.