How do unbound fields on a form or report work?

[Abacus1234]

Big Picture: I need a work-around that would allow me to collect data for which I do not have fields in a table.


I collect data on a form, and produce a Report. I want to collect an extra row of data without adding fields to already existing tables. Can I do this using unbound fields on a form? Can I have an unbound field on a bound form or do I need an unbound sub-form to collect the extra data I need.

Detail Picture: I have a row of data with fields 5a,5c, 5x, 5y,5b, 5s, 5o. which are fields in an already existing database.

When a user has an additional row of data they would like to enter for which there are no existing data fields, I propose providing 2 extra rows using unbound fields.
6a, 6c, 6x, 6y, 6b, 6s, 6o.
7a, 7c, 7x, 7y, 7b, 7s, 7o.

On the form, row 5 would be invisible, row 6 would be labelled row 5, and row 7 would be labelled row 6. These 2 unbound rows would be summed into row 5. On the form Row 5 would not be visible. Row 5 is used in totalling columns in the report. So totals would include the extra row 6 which holds unbound data.

On the report, How would I reference/show row 6 and row 7 as they exist on the form?

I acknowledge that this is a WORK-AROUND to meet my needs for a simple update process, and not the best design solution. Hope someone can help me understand the finer points of unbound fields.

[Bulzie]

Wait what?!?!?!?

To answer your question, to reference a field on a form it would be something like: Forms![YourformName]![YourFieldName]

Unbound form or field means it is not tied to a table or field in a table. But you cannot collect data with it that will store data per individual records in your table. When you move to a new record on a form, the unbound field will keep whatever value it had unless you do something to it in one of the Events.

[rpeare]

It sounds like you are thinking about dynamically altering the structure of your table

i.e.

tblMonthlySales
Department  201701 
Dept 1      5000
Dept 2      6000

becomes

tblMonthlySales
Department  201701  201702
Dept 1      5000    6000
Dept 2      6000    7000

This is an extraordinarily bad idea, if you are thinking about doing this it screams that you do not have a normalized data structure and you should be addressing that, not how to add columns on the fly.

[Abacus1234]

What I have got from this input, so far, is that I must have a table to store the "unbound" or additional data that I wish to collect. But it does not have to be an existing table which I am trying to avoid).

So I am putting my two extra rows in a subform, linked to a new table containing just the 2 extra rows.

Thanks for the help it is always clarifying to the problem.

[orange]

Data is stored in Tables.
Data from tables can be displayed/ entered into a table via a Form
Data from tables can be manipulated/formatted and printed in a Report.