Form fields continue to display "#Name?" no matter what I do

[rogdawg]

I have created a form and "connected" it to a table in my database. I have set the "Data Entry" and "Allow Additions" properties of the form to "Yes" because I want the form to simply allow users to add new records. I do not want the user to view or edit existing records from this form.

I have defined Control Source information for each of the text fields, and when I created the form, I used the wizard functionality to define the "Add a record" functionality for the "submit" button.

When the form is displayed, all the text fields display text reading "#Name?". The information I have found on-line says that the Data Entry and Allow Additions properties should take care of this issue but, it hasn't.

I have also tried things like this:

=IIf(IsNull([MyTable]![SomeColumn]),"",[MyTable]![SomeColumn])



and

=IIf(IsError([MyTable]![SomeColumn]),"",[MyTable]![SomeColumn])

in the Control Source definitions of the fields, and that has no effect either.

I suspect I have missed something in my form's setup that is causing this.

Any help would really be appreciated.

[pbaldy]

I assume the record source of the form is MyTable? Try this:

=Nz([SomeColumn], "")

Make sure there isn't a textbox with the same name as a field ("SomeColumn" in this case), as that can confuse Access. You realize having a formula as a control source of a textbox will prevent the user from entering anything?

[rogdawg]

OK, so if I set the control source of the text field, it will prevent the user from entering data?
So, to have the form add a new record, should I write code in the On_Click event of my submit button that gets the data from each form field, and puts it in a recordset so I can then update the database?

The information I have seen in tutorials, etc seemed to suggest that I could create a form, set the Control Source of the individual controls, set the Data Entry property to "Yes" and then create my "Add Record" button (using the wizard when I created the form), and MS Access would handle creating a record when the "Add Record" button was clicked. I take it that is not correct?

Thanks for your help

[pbaldy]

Normally the control source of the textbox is simply the name of the field (like SomeColumn). That will let the user add data, no code necessary. As soon as you make the control source "=Whatever", you've made it something that will only display, not allow changes. Try just making each textbox control source the name of the field.

[rogdawg]

AAHHHHHH!!! That was my problem.
I tried "=[MyTable]![SomeColumn]" and "[MyTable]![SomeColumn]" and they were both giving bad results...just putting in "SomeColumn" did the trick.
I thought I was supposed to use the Expression Builder to enter what I wanted but, that was leading me down the wrong path.

Thank you very much for clearing up my misunderstanding of this simple thing!

[pbaldy]

No problem, glad you got it sorted out. The record source of the form already told it what table, so all you need in the textbox is the field name.