Complete Access Newbie ..

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jason via AccessMonster.com
  • Start date Start date
J

Jason via AccessMonster.com

I'm trying to set up what I thought would be a simple attendance record for
my martial arts school.

All I need is a quick and easy way to enter the attendance after each class
and a report which can list each student and the total number of classes
they have attended.

Any suggestions?

Is this really as easy as it sounds or am I biting off more than a newbie
can chew?
 
Hi Jason

if you've never used access before, never attended a training course and
only need the information for the report you mentioned (and want it within
the next day or two) i'ld recommend using excel for this. (don't take me
wrong - i think Access is a great program - but to use it you have to have
some idea of database design etc).

If you think that Excel might be the way to go, please post back and i'll be
happy to give you some guidelines on how to structure it.

Cheers
JulieD
 
Hey JulieD

Thanks for the reply; I'd love to hear your suggestions. I considered using
Excel first but couldn't quite see how I could do it without it getting too
messy .. but when I tried Access I hit a wall almost immediately.

Jason
 
I'm trying to set up what I thought would be a simple attendance record for
my martial arts school.

All I need is a quick and easy way to enter the attendance after each class
and a report which can list each student and the total number of classes
they have attended.

Any suggestions?

Is this really as easy as it sounds or am I biting off more than a newbie
can chew?
Click to expand...

It sounds like the kind of task a spreadsheet could handle just as well, and
with less effort.

Very often it is the other way round -- people use spreadsheets for tasks
where database software wuold be better, but in this case it sounds as though
a spreadsheet really is the best "solution", as they say in the trade.
 
Hi Jason

i'ld approach it like this - one sheet has student's names only (call sheet
"Student") - create a dynamic range name (called "students" that will grow
if you add students - see www.contextures.com/tiptech.html - dynamic range
names for instructions on this.)

on another sheet (called "attendances") have a column for students and a
column for dates
on the column for students use data / validation to provide a drop down
lists to choose the students from (data / validation - allow list - in the
source line, press F3 and choose "students" - this assumes that you've
created the range name as detailed above).

Now when the students attend - choose them from the list - in the date
column enter the class date (control & ; to input current date quickly).

Now when you need a list of people who attended a class, in the attendance
sheet, choose data / filter / autofilter - choose a date from the drop down
of the date column and a list of students will be displayed. If you need a
list showing which classes a particular student attended - in the attendance
sheet choose data / filter / autofilter -and from the name column drop down
arrow choose the student and their attendance will be listed.

If you need to know how many classes each student attended, click in the
list in the attendance sheet and choose data / sort - sort by student name &
then date
then choose data / subtotal - on each change in name - count dates
- click on the number 2 that is created to the right of the row numbers (at
the top left of the screen) and there you have it.

Hope this helps
Cheers
JulieD
 
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