Table linking

[emccalment]

Is there a way to make a secondary table that only exists if a certain entry in the primary table equals yes? Or is it just widely viewed as unnecessary because if there's no value you can just not fill it out for that entry? Ugh, I used to be so good at access... back in the year 2000, lol.

[jbarrum]

you have not provided much information to explain in more detail what you are trying to do but it sounds like you could just build a query from your original table adding a column with an expression that would return a value based on the yes/no field in that table.

[emccalment]

I apologize for not explaining a bit better. I'm basically just fumbling around in access currently, lol. What I want to do is have a personnel table with a field for if the person has dependants. If they do have dependants, then I want a seperate table to be made to house the information from their dependants; if they don't have depends, then I don't need that table.

[jbarrum]

The table can not come and go on the fly. You are going to just need to build the table and create the relationship between that table and the personnel table. It will remain empty until dependents are entered.

[emccalment]

Thank you. That leads me to another question then, I hope you don't mind. The idea I had was for the personnel table to be the base for a couple different tables, such as the dependants one, training, awards, etc. Now, when I make the relationship between the personnel table and the dependant table, I can add multiple dependants under one entry from the personnel table, which is perfect. Now then, if I then want to link a table for awards to it as well, I don't get that option anymore, it goes the other way. I'm not even sure if I'm going to be able to properly put this into a question, but how do I make it not happen like that? Or instead what are my other options for having multiple entries for awards, dependants, and such to one person from the personnel table?

[jbarrum]

I am not sure what you mean "I don't get that option anymore". You can create a one to many relationship between Personnel and several other tables at the same time. Just put the PK(primary key) from personnel in the other tables as a FK(foriegn key)

[emccalment]

Yeah, I found some tutorials online that helped me figure out my silly error. I was using two primary keys. Access just doesn't work the way my mind does, lol. Thanks for bearin with me, it really has been 8 or 9 years since I used Access, I literally remember nothing from my previous experience.

[jbarrum]

not a problem. once you get your arms around it you will have some fun