multiple choice items

[vientito]

In my main record table (tblA), there is an element which can take on a list of values (from A to G) with max char limits of about 20bytes

(a) I can put it as field in TEXT then construct a combobox lookup of this list
(b) I can lump all the choices in choiceID in its own table (tblB) and set it to point back to a different field in tblA that contains the choiceID of type number. Hence I can link B to A by a 1-to-many relationship.

What are the deciding factor(s) that would make me take one strategy over the other?

[ranman256]

So BOB (tblA) can have may choices,
(in states)
bob, CA
bob, TX
bob, DC

And you want to pick the many states? Then I'd use a listbox. While on Bob's record, pick all the states in the list. This would execute an append query every time one clicks on the item.
Then adds to the related (many) table.

(is this what you're talking about?)