Query fails to find matching records

[cowman]

Been round the block a few times. Trained on COBOL and FORTRAN IV back in early 70's but find ACCESS really frustrating- maybe an age thing!


Anyway- help please!!
I have a client file that will need editing. The user is presented with a form holding a text box to enter the paramater (Client Ref) for a query.
The results are displayed in another form based on that query. Works great if matches are found. If not, it displays a blank/new record. I want to either 1) stop this or 2) tell the user that their query was unsuccessful.

Thanks

[orange]

Recommendation:

Don't use spaces or special characters in your field or object names. Leads to many syntax errors and frustration.
Readers really need to see your tables and relationships (a jpg) to understand your set up.

You could offer a combobox with a ClientName so user could select a particular record.

Perhaps you could tell us the intent of the form --is the user suppose to find a client.
If you allow typing into a box, there's all sorts of typos/spellings possible/

[cowman]

The activity is to locate a client record for editing.
The Client file has over 700 records so I am offering the choice of entering the surname (lots of typo errors possible) or use the start of surname and wild card eg Jo* and they then locate correct record in results fron query. Do not want them to use this facility to CREATE a NEW Client record.
The parameter query is working fine and a form shows the matching records, it's reacting to a situation where no records are found, that is my problem.
THanks

[pbaldy]

Try a DCount() on the query, testing for >0 before opening the second form.

[cowman]

THanks. I can see what you mean- test the result of the query before opening the 'results' form. Sorry to be a pain, but just how/where to I put the DCount(). Presumably it has to check after the query has been executed but before the form open.
My command button on the 'parameters' form is set to Open the Form which is based on the query. This seems to execute the query upon which the form is based and immediately display the results.
Should this be in 3 steps- execute the query, test the outcome, display the form depending on the results from DCount().
An example would be really helpful.
Thanks again.

[pbaldy]

I'm on an iPad, so no Access, but along the lines of:

If DCount(...) > 0 Then
  'open the form
Else
  'give the user a message box
End If

with the DCount arguments filled in of course.