Query on a field that has the property of multiple entries

[Mike]

I am planning on setting up a table in which one of the fields has
multiple entries based on selecting multiple entries in a list box.

My question is can I query that field like any other field in a table.

TIA

 

[Van T. Dinh]

You may be going down the wrong path:

* Table Field values MUST be atomic (the First Normal Form), i.e. each one
storing a single item of data, NOT a list of items.

* Multi-Select ListBox always has Null value. You will need to use VBA
code to manipulate the selected rows into a list.

* Queries are probably possible but certainly NOT going to be efficient as
they could be if your Table Structure is properly designed and implemented
according to the Relational Database Design Theory (RDDT).

* If you look at it this way: you are trying to combine items into the
single list and then later trying to break down the list to items (in a way)
in your queries for selection / further processing. It certainly much more
efficient to store each item separately (according to RDDT) and use them
accordingly.

* There are other problems with storing a list of items in a single Field.

* See the thread "Creating tables" started by "dumbo" in the newsgroup
"microsoft.public.access" on 5 November 2003 14:46 (my date / time, GMT +
11:00) on RDDT.

 

[John Vinson]

I am planning on setting up a table in which one of the fields has
multiple entries based on selecting multiple entries in a list box.

Don't. Fields in a table should be "atomic" - have only one value.

My question is can I query that field like any other field in a table.

No.

You're using a relational database; USE IT RELATIONALLY!

If you have a one to many relationship, model it as a one to many
relationship, by creating *another table* to contain these multiple
values.

 

[Mike]

Thanks for both replies. The only reason I asked about doing it this way
was that I realized I could create a field in a table with multiple values
so I thought it might be easier.

I will create a second table to hold the multiple values.

Thanks for the valued input.