Help with Access file

[Micron]

oops! duplicate post

[leerph]

Yes I definitely would like the bench fee to not be able to be left blank. I think a simple drop down with yes or no where they have to pick one would work best. It's very unlikely that the fee will change from $45 before I die. Lol.

[Micron]

Of course, it's your db but if it were me, I'd have a currency field for this because
a) a $ value is the same as a yes;
b) a $0 value (not by default) is the same as a no
c) you can enter any amount; in future if value changes it would be an easy change. The value could actually go down while you are only thinking of up.
d) you don't seem to have a way to discount for any reason (e.g. customer complaint); a fee field could allow you to waive or reduce the fee as compensation.
e) a yes or no is rather meaningless - you certainly can't use it alone to add it to the invoice so it is just redundant data
f) whatever else I haven't thought of

I was looking at your tables and had a bunch of questions about things (e.g. it appears you can have a work order and no services info, unless that data is required by code, which I haven't figured out yet). I was going to pm you with some questions but that doesn't seem to be an option; perhaps because your post count is still too low.

[leerph]

I would be totally fine with it having a dollar amount that you can type into the field box, as long as it doesn't have a default value and insteadforces the tech to type in a number to be able to continue forward and save it

[Micron]

You're missing tbluTechnician from your original posted db, so I suppose all other copies that any of us have played with are missing it too. That can make it a bit difficult to test tech as a required field. That was one of my questions/observations. I sort of took care of it by creating a tech table, figuring you were just typing in a name and storing it in the work order table. Then I remembered something that made me think I must have missed it and I looked at your form. That's how I determined the name of the missing table. I checked if it was hidden, but it's not.

[ssanfu]

@leerph,
You are in good hands so I'll back out.....

Good luck with your project...

[leerph]

The way my original worked was that to add a technician name to the system we would add them like they were a customer and then for the company name we would type in the name of our business which is Fastlane Computers. Once we save it then those ppl show up as technicians in that drop down box. If having it with another way is better or easier in totally cool with that.

[Micron]

Now I can't find where I saw that
Have you ever thought of this sort of arrangement (where the constituent parts are on separate pages)? Actually, there are 3 checks and 1 label missing from the 1st page since they're not really required (that may require some explanation).

[leerph]

That's a really slick layout and a great idea. Any chance you could upload that version so I could test it out? Also, we have a second form that we have customers fill out when they drop items off. Currently we just print it and have them sign it and sometimes the techs don't put the customers into the database at all and instead just have them sign our pre printed disclaimer form. Is it possible to have that second form print out along with the work order once all the data is put in? I would love to delete all the copies of form 2 from all the computers and then this would force the techs to have to put the customers into the database to get any type of form printed out. Lazy techs is a real first world problem. LOL. I have 3 stores and there's only 1 of me so they get quite lazy when I'm not around. I was messing around with the latest uploaded version and it seems to work pretty well except there is no way to add technician names that I can find. I had explained earlier how we added tech names in the db by adding our company name to their customer profile. If there is a simpler/easier way to add all the tech names for the drop down box I am all for that as well.

[leerph]

Here is the file I would love to have print.

[Micron]

A few ways to handle that. Easiest would be to embed the document in a table. While that is usually frowned upon by most developers, I don't think it would be such a bad thing if it's one-off. Slightly more complicated is the 'store doc path in a table and retrieve from there' (file folder navigation), but not too much. More complicated is to provide file folder navigation, BUT if you want to store signed copies electronically it's the way to go. Somewhere in between is to recreate the doc as an Access report and output to printer, but no storage. I realize you can electronically file any signed copy now, but you don't have the capability to tie that doc to the work order. Navigation option would make that easy.

Glad you like that - it's just a work in progress thing at the moment. I'd have no problem uploading but it's based on table changes I've made so you cannot use it with your current data. The current version id's the required fields (colored) and won't let me save without a tech or bench fee amount. What it should do is move the cursor to the top most missing field but it doesn't yet. That might be a tab order thing. If not, I know where there was a forum discussion on the order of form controls but would have to look up the solution again.

Have you elected to not receive pm's (private messages)? I've got a list of over a dozen questions/comments. I thought after 10 posts I'd see that option in your profile but I don't yet.

[ArviLaanemets]

I'm not sure how much this will work for you, and I haven't enough spare time at moment to read through all posts, but:

1. You can have freeware pdf-printer (e.g. CutePdf Writer) installed as your printer. Then you can print your report as PDF-document at your choice location. You can have links to those pdf-documents in your database;
2. You can apply for Estonian E-Residency. You get an ID card with it, which allows you sign digitally documents. Digitally signed document is put into container and can't changed by anyone except person having ID card used to sign it. In case there were several persons signing same document, all of them must sign it anew to be any changes allowed. Other people can see document, but they can't change it (you have to look about how this exactly works yourself, as I haven't used it - I have only read about it a bit).

[leerph]

Thanks for all the replies. To simplify things, I am totally ok if I need to use a new back end and start from scratch. We can still keep the old one around for a few months in case we need to refer back to it for something. As far as PMs go I went into the general settings and the only things I saw were receive email from admins, receive friendship request email, and visitor messaging is on. Maybe it's like you said and I can't get PMs until I reach a certain number of posts. I for sure am not wanting to do digital signatures, just paper only. As far as having my page 2 print out, I'm totally OK with whatever is easiest. Ideally it would allow me to go in and change wording of that document from time to time as needed.

[davegri]

For PM, see If the forum allows you to go here...

[leerph]

It doesn't. Mine says visitor messaging on/off in that same spot. I sent you guys friends request. If you accept I think we can send each other private messages then hopefully.