Entering data in mutliple records/rows in one action?

[lw1990]

Using an access form, how can I type one value, or select one combo box item, and apply it to multiple records with the same column name?

[ssanfu]

Not much to go on... is the form bound or unbound? How do you select the records? Or are you wanting to use the control to add new records using the value in the control?

The really short answer is to use an update query (if the records already exist), an append query if the records don't exist or VBA.

[lw1990]

- I'm not familiar with bound/unbound
- I was hoping for some native way in Access to have a form, within this form there is a combobox, beneath the combobox is an embedded table with records in it, the user can then select a single record or multiple records (using ctrl+click, shift+click to select a bunch in a line, etc) and then have whatever value is chosen in the combobox applied to all selected records.

Just like you can in Windows Explorer when selecting files on different "rows"


What this accomplishes in a database with 1000 records that need to have a field updated, not neccesarily all with the same information, lets say in semi-random order 333 record-fields need to be changed to "COMPLETE", 333 record-fields need to be changed to "PENDING", 333 record-fields need to be changed to "SEMICOMPLETE" and 1 record needs to be left unchanged. Doing this 1 by 1 would be time consuming as all heck. Using the method above is very robust and intuitive, the fastest path to updating the records.

[Missinglinq]

I'm not familiar with bound/unbound

This is not meant to be personal, and not to be unkind, but if you truly don't know the difference between Bound and Unbound, you really have no business trying to do anything in Access, much less trying to accomplish a task such as this!

You simply have to do some reading and make an effort to learn at least the basics of developing an Access database! This link will take you to a thread with a list compiled by a gentleman who goes by the name of the CyberCow, one of the most experienced Access developers on the planet! The links he gives are very comprehensive, but covers all of the basics quite well.

http://www.utteraccess.com/forum/New...-t1997455.html

Like many others, you may have been taken in by Micro$oft's B.S. sales campaign stating 'anyone can develop a database with MS Access, without really trying' but that's simply not true! Access is a powerful database development app, and to do anything more complicated than making a digital address book, you simply have to, as I said before, put in some effort to learn the application first. If you don't have the time or desire to do this, you really need to think about outsourcing this project.

We'll be here to help you, answering questions, and giving advice, but you have to have some basic knowledge of Access before we can do even that!

Welcome to Access Forums!

Linq ;0)>

[lw1990]

You're saying without realizing the difference between bound and unbound, I should stop trying to research what access is capable of so that I can determine whether I should read up on it further, and learn industry/application specific terminology like bound and unbound? That doesn't make much sense now does it

I'm a developer/programmer in a similar field, not a business owner who wants to push 2 buttons and have a final result

Anyway the question is very simple and doesn't rely on bound/unbound form information, how the records are selected etc., the original question asks how to click a value in a combobox, and have it change a field in more than one record to that value. If it can be done in VBA, that's good information. If it can be done without VBA, that's good information. How I select the records, get them into the form, or organize the form, is an entirely different matter that I'll look into after I verify the crucial element of my goal is possible (fast data entry for multiple records)

[ssanfu]

OK, then a form has a record source - either a table, a query or a SQL string (that is a select query). On the bound form, there are usually controls - text box, list box, combo box,etc. If the control has a control source (a field from the record source), the control is a bound control. A bound form can have unbound controls

If a form is unbound (no record source), then any text boxes, list boxes, combo boxes, etc are also unbound. An unbound for cannot have bound controls

Any data entered into bound controls are automatically saved when the form is closed, the current record is moved to a different record or the save button is clicked.

Any data entered into unbound controls (added, changed,deleted) will need to be handled by the programmer - access takes care of nothing. Unbound forms require a lot more work by the programmer, but the tradeoff is more control over what happens and when.

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For your question, I would add another field in the table - maybe "Selected" (type Yes/No aka boolean) to be able to select the records to be modified. Then it is a matter of whether you wan to use an update query or VBA code to make the changes. (My preference would be VBA for the control & for validation).

Enter "COMPLETE" in an unbound text box control (in the form header), select the records to be changed (detail section) using the check box and manually execute the saved query or run the VBA code which would/could set the check boxes to false after the update.

Ensure the check boxes are unselected (false), enter "PENDING" in the unbound text box, select the records, ........

Repeat for the next group of controls..........