Combo Boxes

[Duncan]

I’m new to Access. Basically I want to display information in the table in the form of a combo box for each field. The problem I'm having is that I want each record to display different information in the form of the combo box for the end user to select from.
It would seem that Access can only display the same data down a field for each record if that data is displayed as a combo box.

[pbaldy]

I suspect the problem is not that it's a combo, but that it's unbound (no control source).

[Duncan]

Many thanks - So next question how do I change the control source to unbound

[pbaldy]

It sounds like it already is. Is there a field in the underlying data that it should be bound to?

[Duncan]

Yes you were right the combo was unbound when created in a form with no control source.
Basically I'm still in the table phase of the database and was trying to get that down pat before creating the forms (may be the wrong way around not sure). Any way, for arguments sake lets say I have three small table called Car, Truck, Bus. Each table has the same amount of fields and heading. Each table however the data is different under the same filed names (e.g., make, model, colour etc). This data is represented in combo boxes.
What I'm tring to do is have the three tables accessed (linked to) via the one table or form in the end for the end user.
That is, in the one table, the first field would have a combo box with car, truck, bus selection and when you selected either car, bus or truck the rest of the data in abovementioned table (make, model, colour) becomes available in the form of a combo box to select the relavent info like colour etc. Then on the NEXT record if a different mode or tansport is selected either bus or truck different date relating to that specific transport becomes available in the form of combo box.
I can link one say 'car' then the info about cars comes available but when I go to the next record and select say 'bus' that specific related info does not appear but the car info does as it was in the first record.
I hop that makes sense. (thus I want each record to access different information depending on whether car, bus or truck is selected in the form of a combo box)

[pbaldy]

No, you are correct to get the table design correct first. It is likely a mistake to have 3 tables with the same fields. I would have 1 table with an extra field for the vehicle type.

[Duncan]

Thanks for the assistance,
Okey I have one table with the first field been Vehicle Type.
Record one cars, record two buses etc. The next field along is Model.
The problem is cars, buses and trucks have hundreds of different models. I could put all the models for all of them in the one combo box, but this would be combersome and unachieveable (two long).
I was hoping to have cars models only in the cars record in a combo box and the next record being buses, would only have bus models in the model field.
But Access can only have the same information (selectable infomation in a combo box) down a field for each record if that information is represented in a combo box. Not completely different selectable information which is what I'm trying to achieve for each record.
I think I"m missing some thing here (msy be relating to linking or query) or it can not be done. I've been trying for weeks re: links and creating the end table different ways.

[Duncan]

Maybe the answer is to have the three different tables cars, buses, trucks kept separate as tables and use a combo box in a form for the user to select one of the three and when selected, the rest of the fields associated with that mode of transport becomes available for the user to select from.

[pbaldy]

This type of thing is often done with cascading combos:

http://www.baldyweb.com/CascadingCombo.htm

Though this technique doesn't work well on a continuous or datasheet form.

[Duncan]

Thanks heaps pbaldy. I think that is exactly what I want will research net on how to apply same to my table.