Descriptions for Table

  • Thread starter Thread starter KrispyData
  • Start date Start date
K

KrispyData

Happy Friday everyone!

In Design View, Access allows us to provide a description for the Field
Name. Is there a way to include a description for the entire table? That
way a new user can take a glimpse and now what each of my tables mean.

Thanks for any help!
 
Happy Friday everyone!

In Design View, Access allows us to provide a description for the Field
Name. Is there a way to include a description for the entire table? That
way a new user can take a glimpse and now what each of my tables mean.

Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...

On the main database folder, right-click on the table name.
Select Properties.
You can enter the table description in the big white Description box.

Alternatively, in Table design view, right-click in any column and
select Properties. Enter the description on the Table Description
line.

To display the property on the main folder, click on View + Details.
 
Thanks!
Is there a way to display the description under the table name in the
shutter bar/navigation pane?
 
NOTE: having your users see/use your tables is ... "risky". Unlike a
spreadsheet, where that's the only thing they have to work with, Access
provides forms for the display (and editing) of data.

Access tables store data -- Access forms display it. Use the forms, Luke!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP
 
Thanks for the warning Jeff! Actually, the only users on this database will
be internal users. Here's the reason why I want to display the table
descriptions. I am a beginning Access user and I inherited a database with
over 50 tables. It was so frustrating figuring the data sources of these
tables, why the tables were created, etc. In building my own database, I
want to save the next person the pain i had to go through and provide
descriptions for table. Do you thikn this is good practice?
 
Thanks for the warning Jeff! Actually, the only users on this database will
be internal users. Here's the reason why I want to display the table
descriptions. I am a beginning Access user and I inherited a database with
over 50 tables. It was so frustrating figuring the data sources of these
tables, why the tables were created, etc. In building my own database, I
want to save the next person the pain i had to go through and provide
descriptions for table. Do you thikn this is good practice?
Click to expand...

Personally, I think it's a fine idea.
You can always hide the table from user view by setting it's Hidden
attribute to true.
Right-click on the table name. Select Properties.
Place a check in the Hidden attribute box.
When you need to view the tables, to un-hide the table, click on Tools
+ Options + View.
Place a check in Show Hidden Objects.

Remember to then uncheck the box to re-hide the table.
 
I agree!

Jeff B.

fredg said:
Personally, I think it's a fine idea.
You can always hide the table from user view by setting it's Hidden
attribute to true.
Right-click on the table name. Select Properties.
Place a check in the Hidden attribute box.
When you need to view the tables, to un-hide the table, click on Tools
+ Options + View.
Place a check in Show Hidden Objects.

Remember to then uncheck the box to re-hide the table.
Click to expand...
 
In Access 2007, right click on the Navigation bar to show the
shortcut menu. Choose View By > Details to show the descriptions
in the pane.

Julie
 
Hi JulieS,

I tried your suggestion, but for some reason it does not show the table
properites. It only shows Date Created and Date Modified. Is there a
setting I have to change in my database properties?

Thank you so much!
 
Sorry to say, but SP-2 for Access has somehow removed descriptions
from the details. Like you, I now only see Date created and
modified. You may be able to uninstall SP-2 (see the control panel)
but I'm not sure it's worth undoing other fixes to other products.

Julie
 
Sorry to say, but SP-2 for Access has somehow removed descriptions
from the details. Like you, I now only see Date created and
modified. You may be able to uninstall SP-2 (see the control panel)
but I'm not sure it's worth undoing other fixes to other products.

Julie
 
Darn, I guess I will have to learn to live without it!

Thank you, JulieS!
Have a great week!
 
Darn, I guess I will have to learn to live without it!

Thank you, JulieS!
Have a great week!
 
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