adding a form to a table already linked to several forms

[debs_n_soots]

Help !!

Sorry if this is probably a bit basic, I'm a novice at Access I'm afraid.

Anyway...I have been tasked with adding a form to a table which lives in a
large(ish) relational database.

The table logs every job estimate we do, and every year a new form is added
pertinent only to that year. The form is not only the input it is what we
would look at to check an estimate as it is made up of a row for each
estimate with columns of pertinent information.

I tried copying and renaming last years form - but it remains linked to the
old form, change one and you change the other. Making a completely new form
might be the answer - but I'm not honestly sure - could there be pitfalls
here? If anyone can tell me how to achieve this quickly and easily (or long
and laboriously if there isn't a quick easy answer) I'd be eternally grateful.
Please bear in mind I'm a complete novice with Access - I was given this job
because the person who normally does it left and I know how to use excel!
Logical huh?

Any help would be most gratefully accepted.

Thanks in advance, Debbie

 

[Guest]

Sorry if I sit here laughing. Your's is a story I have heard way too often.
My wife was once sent to a DBase III introductory class and then assigned the
task of writing a database to manage all her department's documents. You
have been put in a bad situation.

First, I have to ask why a new form is needed each year. If the table
structure does not change, why would the form need to change? This is very
abnormal.

Based on reading your post, I suspect it does nothing more than filter the
data to include only the current year. If this is true, then there are
better ways to do this.

I understand you are a novice, but I am having a little trouble
understanding exactly what you are trying to say. Forms don't link to forms.
Forms are bound to data. It will be either a query or a table. I think
this is where the problem is. When you copy last year's form, it retains the
reference to last year's data.

Here is where I need you to do some research. Make a copy of last year's
form with the name you need for this year. Open the form in design mode.
Select the properties box for the form. Select the Data tab. Now look at
Record Source and Filter. Record Source will tell you what table or query
the form is using. Filter will tell you if there is any filtering of the
data.

This filtering is where you could include only data for the current year.
That is if all years data is in the same table. If it is not, it should be.

So, If they create a new table each year, then what you need to do is
identify the new table as the record source for the new form.

I hope this helped more than confused. Please post back if you have more
questions. I would also like to know what you found out about the forms and
data.

 

[debs_n_soots via AccessMonster.com]

Sorry if I sit here laughing. Your's is a story I have heard way too often.
My wife was once sent to a DBase III introductory class and then assigned the
task of writing a database to manage all her department's documents. You
have been put in a bad situation.

First, I have to ask why a new form is needed each year. If the table
structure does not change, why would the form need to change? This is very
abnormal.

Based on reading your post, I suspect it does nothing more than filter the
data to include only the current year. If this is true, then there are
better ways to do this.

I understand you are a novice, but I am having a little trouble
understanding exactly what you are trying to say. Forms don't link to forms.
Forms are bound to data. It will be either a query or a table. I think
this is where the problem is. When you copy last year's form, it retains the
reference to last year's data.

Here is where I need you to do some research. Make a copy of last year's
form with the name you need for this year. Open the form in design mode.
Select the properties box for the form. Select the Data tab. Now look at
Record Source and Filter. Record Source will tell you what table or query
the form is using. Filter will tell you if there is any filtering of the
data.

This filtering is where you could include only data for the current year.
That is if all years data is in the same table. If it is not, it should be.

So, If they create a new table each year, then what you need to do is
identify the new table as the record source for the new form.

I hope this helped more than confused. Please post back if you have more
questions. I would also like to know what you found out about the forms and
data.

Help !!

[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]

Thanks in advance, Debbie

Dear Klatuu,

Thanks ever so much - you're advice pointed me in the right direction and
I've managed to sort things out - really it wasn't difficult (or at least not
time consuming) - but when you don't know where to look that's irrelevant I
suppose

The data was in fact linked to a query which ensured that the form diplayed
only the data for that year, with everything input at the form (or the other
year's forms) being written to the one table. I'd never have thought to look
at queries because I thought they were only for getting specific informatin
out and nothing more...oh well

Anyway, thanks again, Debbie