Why not enter data directly into a table?

[tstrike78]

Okay, so I'm having a bit of a disagreement with my boss. His old student database crashed (the organization had been using it for about ten years at this point and it had grown to gargantuan proportions), and he called me in to see if I could fix it. Long story short, it was unrecoverable so I had to build him a whole new one from scratch. I set it up with a single form (with sub-forms) to enter data into four tables, and I created several reports that he can use on a daily basis to get the information he needs out of it. I also hid all of the tables, queries, and subreports so that users couldn't see them.



The bottom line is that we're having a disagreement over whether it's better to enter data into the database through a form or directly onto the table. I've never been comfortable with allowing users direct access to the tables because I know there are ways for users to get confused and screw up the table, but I'm having trouble articulating to my boss why we shouldn't just enter data directly into the table. Can someone lay that out for me in a way that might be more coherent than what I'm coming up with? He doesn't really understand access or databases in general, which is why he needed me to build this one for him, but I feel like that's working against me at the moment because he doesn't understand how easily data can get screwed up.

[ranman256]

first, always make backups.
2nd, you CAN enter directly to a table, BUT using queries can offer advantages as well.
A query can show calculations, or special items the table doesnt store.

BOTH work depending on your need. (neither should corrupt data)

[ssanfu]

Forms are used to get input from user easily. Forms have labels that help indicate what data goes where. We can also set which field is required and what message to show. Forms help with data validation and data integrity.

Field names in a data table often do not follow a good naming convention. Because a form can have labels and can contain descriptions for each input field of the table, the data user can more easily input the data without having to know what the cryptic names mean.

Data validation (and data integrity) is almost impossible when entering data directly into a table.

I never allow users to directly into a table.

Even a simple dB for my own use, I use forms to interact with the data.