messy thread with lots of stupid questions

[sevs]

Hi.
My work expects me to build a contacts and companies database. I have never touched Access or anything similar before, and even though my general computer and tech skills are good, my programming skills are inexistent. I have lots of dumb questions, so I'm just going to spam them in here, hoping to understand at least some of it after a while. Please explain as detailed as possible as i find some stuff really hard to grasp.

What are relations and relationships?
What does one to many mean and what is it?
How do you make a search box that works properly, where you can search for multiple details about different things all in one search field?
What are macros?
Why does the right hand side bar in Access disappear all the time?
What does unbound and bound mean?
What is a calculation and a query and what is the difference between those?
Why do you need forms for things and why can't you just go into the table and edit it directly?
How do you output data into a report, and why would you want to do that?
what does lookup mean?

What does this not do a search:

Private Sub cmdSaveupdate_Click()
If Not IsNull([tblCompanyID]) Then
Forms![frmContact].tblCompanyID = Me.tblCompanyID
End If
DoCmd.Close


End Sub

And what do the above words mean? explain line by line, word by word, sign by sign.



What is this and why does it not work?


Sorry for the mess.

[ranman256]

Sorry but if you are starting Access cold, then you need to get some books. They explain everything.


what are relations and relationships?
to show a Parent record from a Child record


What does one to many mean and what is it?
1 record has many children, as 1 person can have many phones: home, office, cell, etc
1 sales Order has many products purchased.


How do you make a search box that works properly, where you can search for multiple details about different things all in one search field?
you wouldnt


What are macros?
they execute commands, just as you would


Why does the right hand side bar in Access disappear all the time?
dunno.


What does unbound and bound mean?
bound is connected to a field in a table


What is a calculation and a query and what is the difference between those?
you MUST use a query to perform a calculation. Or a text box can have a calculation too.


Why do you need forms for things and why can't you just go into the table and edit it directly?
Forms are for users to edit in an orderly fashion and to show only SOME fields. Editing directly is ok if only 1 person uses it., but not many.




How do you output data into a report, and why would you want to do that?
to print in a formated way.


what does lookup mean?
given the name SMITH, look it up in the database and return ALL the fields for SMITH




GET A HELP BOOK

[orange]

Here is a link to a variety of information.
Your company chose/volunteered you for this project for a reason --why/what was that in your own view.
You wouldn't build a house or a shopping center or an airplane without a list of requirements. That's the starting point.
Followed immediately with a plan of approach, then analysis and design(prototyping/clarification....). Physical database is in the future in my view.

Here's a link to an article that may be helpful to your project.

You know more about your situation than any reader.

Most of your questions can be answered to some extent by using Google/Bing. It appears that you have not done so.
Why are you showing some macro info in your post? If your approach has been to start with a physical Access, I can assure you you are in for a long, circuitous journey.