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  1. #16
    CJ_London is offline VIP
    Windows 10 Access 2010 32bit
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    But I'm still trying to imagine the data entry form.
    I'll see if I can put an example together tonight

  2. #17
    CJ_London is offline VIP
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    Just an example - but see what you think
    Attached Files Attached Files

  3. #18
    ProvPC is offline Advanced Beginner
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    Thank you so much for this! Seeing in action what you've been trying to tell me (and getting a chance to poke around to see how it's put together) is incredibly useful. I'm think I'm finally getting closer to understanding what you've been telling me about the way I was doing things requiring so much more work on the backend every time something changes. Any argument I may have had about my way having been intuitive to use pales in comparison with the ease of maintenance, which is the greater benefit by far. I will have a couple (dozen) more questions - but for now I'm going to finish the skill and resource tables following your guidance and see what I can learn from how you put this together. I'll be back soon - but I did want to at least pop on and tell you how much I appreciate your having taken the time to put something tangible together. It's much more than anyone could be reasonably expect!

  4. #19
    ProvPC is offline Advanced Beginner
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    I'm sorry for the delay - duty called, and I've been tied up for a few days, but it's time to get back to this project. I've rebuilt the tables in accordance with your guidance, and am now getting a chance to see how you've put things together. Sadly, seeing isn't necessarily understanding, but I'm getting there. )

    I do have one immediate question, concerning the way the skill table (and in my case, the additional "resource" table) are set up. In the case that a user should need to add an item that isn't there (an "other", as it were), or an explanatory bit of additional data "specifying" a resource, how can I accomplish this, tying it to the database as skill or resource without it becoming a permanent part of the skill list?

    In the original way I had done this (which I now see was completely wrong!) this was accomplished by a combination of a pre-built selection form which presented only the "approved" skills as choices, and a skills table in which each skill was its own entry. In this new format, the skills are added to a single list, and any "other" would be appended to the same list, and thus be available for others to select as well.

    That may or may not be a good thing. For example, someone overlooking "Car" might add "Automobile", and as more entries are made down the road, people in the list could be split between the two categories. Then searching for the expected "Car" would miss all those assigned to the user-added "automobile". I'd rather new "other" entries be hidden from being selected in the future until approved and added to the list properly. (I know, my example applies to resources, not skills, but the same principle applies. I'm just not bright enough to come up with a better example at the moment!)

    Also, when asked to specify an item, how could tying that to the particular skill or resource work? For example, how would an owner of heavy equipment be able to specify what that equipment is in such a way as to tie it to both the person and the "heavy equipment" entry in the resource list?

    I have lots to learn! Thanks for all of your patience!

  5. #20
    CJ_London is offline VIP
    Windows 10 Access 2010 32bit
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    I do have one immediate question, concerning the way the skill table (and in my case, the additional "resource" table) are set up. In the case that a user should need to add an item that isn't there (an "other", as it were), or an explanatory bit of additional data "specifying" a resource, how can I accomplish this, tying it to the database as skill or resource without it becoming a permanent part of the skill list?
    as far as another item/skill is concerned, add it to the skills table, there are ways for the user to do this - investigate the combo 'not in list' property. With regards addition data - perhaps 'no equipment' or 'needs a widget' this would be added as a field to the peopleskills table

    That may or may not be a good thing. For example, someone overlooking "Car" might add "Automobile", and as more entries are made down the road, people in the list could be split between the two categories. Then searching for the expected "Car" would miss all those assigned to the user-added "automobile".
    that comes down to additional database management - and that comes down to you - e.g. preventing users from adding a variation until it has been approved by admin, or on a user not finding a result, let them 'rephrase' their search. Another way I have handled this in the past is to have an 'aliases' table to provide alternatives

    tblAliases
    AliasPK autonumber
    Alias text
    AliasFK long

    user searches the alias field and returns the AliasFK which in turn returns the 'preferred' alias e.g.

    Code:
    SELECT R.Alias
    FROM tblAliases S INNER JOIN tblAliases R ON S.AliasFK=R.AliasPK
    WHERE S.Alias like "*" & [Enter your search test] & "*"
    a table populated

    PK...Alias.....................FK
    1.....Car......................1
    2.....Auto....................1
    3.....Motor..................1
    4.....Washing Machine..4
    5.....Washer/Dryer......4
    etc

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