hate access

[danjohnson10]

So I'm a grad student, I did a big survey, and I had the idea to create a form in access to enter all the data. I had no prior experience in creating spreadsheets of any kind, only in simple data entry with access which seemed straightforward and intuitive, and that's why I chose access over excel. With no one having the time or interest in helping me design the table/form I did it all myself and am currently halfway through the data entry process. Only now I have just been told by the person who will do all the statistics on it (with spss) that they can't use any of the data in the multiple value lookup columns as spss doesn't handle multiple values in single fields. just great. here i was thinking how wonderful and easy a form is by allowing me to click multiple items on a drop-down menu instead of creating a bunch of extra fields.



so i have now gone back and modified the table, creating a whole bunch of extra fields so that there are no more multiple value lookup columns. and so now i have a new problem. i tried to create a form off of this new table and it tells me there's too many fields which can't all fit given the maximum height of a form. "maximum height" of a form?????????? what the shit is this??? this is a computer for christ's sake! a computer that allows scrolling down pages. how can it run out of space?

what the hell good is a form for if it can't make data understandable to other commonly used programs and if it declares some arbitrary length beyond which it refuses to do its f#!king job?

[kimmer]

design the table

Well, there is your problem right there! The table? You have just one table? You are blaming the product, mad as heck, though you obviously haven't spent 10 minutes researching how to create a relational database. You haven't bothered to look at anyone else's database, you havent googled how to use Access or, better yet, how to make a survey database. I hate to break it to you, but the problem is that you don't have the slightest idea what you are doing, and seem to think the product is supposed to work around that little glitch.

Access allowing multiple vallues in a single field does suck, I agree. It is the result of Microsoft bowing to people who gripe that Access is too hard. It's too hard because they don't want to be bothered with learning what a relational database is supposed to do and how to make one. Access isn't too hard; relational database design concepts are a bit complicated. That isnt the product's fault.

My advice is to quit treating Access like it's PowerPoint. Take a class or read a book or use the internet. Be sure to understand normalization. Goodness gracious, at the very least look at someone else's table structure.

There are brilliant people here who have entire careers built around Microsoft Access. (Yes, Access is that powerful, and there is that much to it.) After you have researched some, and have written out a list of likely attributes and tables to create, you should return here for assistance.

Regarding maximum height of a form... if you understood databases at all, having a maximum height would not seem strange in the slightest. I looked it up; the max is monster-huge 22 inches for a section. Surely almost 2 feet will accomodate your one-table survey.

[danjohnson10]

10 minutes? I've spent hours trying to figure this out. But how are you supposed to learn anything in hours, or days even, if you don't know what it is you should be learning? Relational databases...read about them, but knowing how to create them isn't the same as realizing you can't do statistics in spss without having created one. the level of knowledge needed about access to do what i need done is totally out of proportion to what i need done. it's not at all amenable to learn-as-you-go self-instruction. if only one of the several people i asked about it would have told me that beforehand.

and i still dont understand, nor care at this point, what imperial measurements have to do with a scrollable interface.

[ajetrumpet]

10 minutes? I've spent hours trying to figure this out. But how are you supposed to learn anything in hours, or days even, if you don't know what it is you should be learning? Relational databases...read about them, but knowing how to create them isn't the same as realizing you can't do statistics in spss without having created one. the level of knowledge needed about access to do what i need done is totally out of proportion to what i need done. it's not at all amenable to learn-as-you-go self-instruction. if only one of the several people i asked about it would have told me that beforehand.

and i still dont understand, nor care at this point, what imperial measurements have to do with a scrollable interface.

dan,

this is not the place to rant and rave. you would have never gotten a reply if kimmel didn't feel like arguing, and I'm actually inclined to report both of ya to the admins. You have a responsibility just like everyone else to know what you get into it - (just some tough love for ya).

My very short advice in this thread - get together with the person doing 'smss', whatever that is, and figure out how to work together. It doesn't matter if you have the perfect program, if you can't work with the other guy, you're as good as dead in terms of getting anything done.

also...

what the shit is this??? this is a computer for christ's sake! a computer that allows scrolling down pages. how can it run out of space?

what the hell good is a form for if it can't make data understandable to other commonly used programs and if it declares some arbitrary length beyond which it refuses to do its f#!king job?

don't write this again. Noone likes to read that junk and it gives the forum a bad rap. Okie dokie?

[kimmer]

10 minutes? I've spent hours trying to figure this out.

Then I apologize, but how can you have spent hours trying to figure it out yet not realized that you need more than one table?

isn't the same as realizing you can't do statistics in spss without having created one

you should cuss IBM then.

Forms are not web pages. They have defined sizes.

The largest number that can be represented by a 2-byte integer is 31680.
The max size for a section on a form is 22 inches. An inch is a 1440 twips.
22 times 1440 twips = 31680 twips.

Word has the same limit for paper size (22 inches), and for the same reason.

I have used Access for years and have never had a form anywhere near 22 inches. I really don't like for anyone to have to scroll if I can help it. If I need more room, I'll put multiple tabs on the form.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=microso...m=QBRE&qs=n&sk=

[kimmer]

I'm actually inclined to report both of ya to the admins

Sorry, you don't have to report me. I promise not to come back to this site.

[Access_Blaster]

Kimmer,
I thought your comments were totally inline with the conversation.

[ajetrumpet]

Sorry, you don't have to report me. I promise not to come back to this site.

you do know that I'm not an 'anger management secret agent', right?