Using your form?

[AishlinnAnne]

I am trying to create a form, with cascading combo boxes & check boxes for my work. The salesmen will need to complete this form and send it back to my boss & I.



*Once I have the form set up the way I want it, how do I share it with the Salesman to use?
I tried exporting to excel, as a pdf, but it just transfers the textboxes & no other data.

I am brand new to Access, I have taken a few courses on creation of tables/forms/queries/reports. However, I haven't had much training on what you're supposed to do with the form after you create it.

My boss keeps asking me to make it do this, make it do that.. And honestly, I am completely winging it.

Thank you

[orange]

Here's a link to an established method for designing a database.
Contrary to most marketing literature and ads, there is much more to database than Access.
Since this is your first post and you are new to database and Access, I suggest you work through one or both of these tutorials.
Class info
Consolidated Widgets

I would also recommend you watch a few free youtube videos by BA-Experts re Business analysis. These are quite short and hit the critical steps and show some humor.

Good luck.

[CJ_London]

*Once I have the form set up the way I want it, how do I share it with the Salesman to use?

Normally the salesperson would have access to the db and the form, but I'm guessing that is not possible because they are out on the road.

You can only export data from access, although you can create pdfs from forms and reports which could then be inserted into Excel, however these will be flat with no automation so I suspect will not meet your needs.

You can also link excel to access tables or import the necessary data and create your form in excel - or design an excel worksheet to look like a form

Another alternative is to create a 'micro' db containing just the data required by the salesperson and send that to them - when they send it back, use an import routine to import back into the main db - but this will need careful design, particularly around indexing and uniqueIDs (see replicationID) to ensure it works correctly - orange's links will help with that.

Other thoughts - use sharepoint or azure and design a web based form the salespeople can access via their browser. Or use VPN and terminal server to host your db and front end

So there are ways, but all depends on your actual requirements, how much data, what salespeople need to reference, etc.

[AishlinnAnne]

Thank you. We actually do use SharePoint at the office already. However, will they be able to open an access form through it?
I am STILL having a hard time trying to figure out how to get the data I enter into a form to transfer to my tables.

The boss wants what the boss wants. I am just trying to figure this all out. ..I need this job haha
(Last Monday was the 1st time I have ever even opened Access in my 10+ years as an admin)

[CJ_London]

how to get the data I enter into a form to transfer to my tables.

that is standard functionality - the form has a recordsource of the table and each control is bound to a field in that recordsource (the controlsource property).

When you finish entering a record by closing the form or going to a new record, the table is updated automatically

[CJ_London]

However, will they be able to open an access form through it?

providing they have access installed on their machine and are connected to the internet yes. If you don't want to pay for a full access licence you can sue the runtime version which is free

[AishlinnAnne]

I guess I am maybe not relating them correctly. Honestly, I just feel way over my head with this. Thank you.

[CJ_London]

remember it is one form, one table

try doing this.

select a table, don't open it.

in the ribbon, click on the create tab

then select the form icon

save the form (recommend renaming to prefix with frm)

that it, you have a fully working form.

do the same again, but choose one of the other form options either from the form wizard or click on the more forms option to see other designs.

However all this is dependant on you designing your tables and relationships correctly, orange has made some good suggestions but the principle is what is called normalisation.

get a piece of paper and start drawing out the data you have and grouping it into logical tables