Changing a value of a field

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bill F
  • Start date Start date
B

Bill F

I have a database with (believe it or not) names. There are several linked
tables on this field and now I've discovered that the name is misspelled and
I want to correct the name. When I try to change it in the table it says it
can't do it becuae there are linked records in other tables (duh). so how do
I go about making the cahange and having it reflected in the linked tables?

Thanks,
 
And that is a good reason to use an artificial key. However, you can use
cascade update to fix the problem.

Open up the relationships window in the database that has the tables.
Double-Click on the relationship line between the tables
Check Cascade Update Related Fields
Click OK
Repeat for the other tables involved.
Close and save

Now when you change the name in the MASTER table, all the subordinate tables
should have there fields updated to the new value.


John Spencer
Access MVP 2002-2005, 2007-2009
The Hilltop Institute
University of Maryland Baltimore County
 
Its not a good idea to link to a string column. Its best to set up an
artificial primary key. e.g.
id=1 name=smith
id=2 name=jones
etc. etc.
That being said, you will need to remove the linking relationships before
you make the changes and then recreate the relationships afterwards.
-- Dorian
"Give someone a fish and they eat for a day; teach someone to fish and they
eat for a lifetime".
 
Thanks John,

I must have had that enabled in other databases I have becuse I was able to
do it in them but I couldn't figure out why.
 
Bill,

You have to go to the source file to make the changes...you can't do it in
access on any linked file. That is the way Access works. Go to whereever
that linked file is and change it there.
 
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