user-defined fields

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Is there a way to allow the user to define her own fields on a form (like you
can do in Outlook or ACT)?
 
Donna,

This is kind of a funny requirement... no developer would want the users
fiddling with form design. Is there no better way? What are you trying
to achieve?

Nikos
 
It's a non-profit organization that has to collect information on its clients
for the government. The info they collect changes from year to year, & they
want to be able to add fields to collect other info based on the government's
whims. I feel the same as you you, but I thought I'd better check just to be
sure.
 
Donna,

That sounds to me like more than just adding controls to forms, it
involves adding fields to tables to begin with. Actually you are looking
at design changes which should not be left to the users. Either you or
someone with some Access skills needs to revisit the design whenever new
requirements arise.

Nikos
 
Depending on exactly what your Users want, you may be able to satisfy
their needs in another way. Consider the following skeleton -

Create Tables as follows

tblInfoCategories:

Prikey AutoIncrement {I always have arbitrary AutoIncrement Primary
Keys)
InfoCategory Text(30) {Client Information "Field" name}
DateAdded DateTime
Active Boolean

tblMiscData:

PriKey AutoIncrement
Client_Pointer Long Integer {linked to PriKey of Client Table}
Category_Pointer Long Integer {linked to PriKey of Category
Table}
Info_Contents Text(255) {Client Information "Contents"}

To create a new "field", the User adds (using an appropriate Form) a
corresponding record to tblInfoCategories and marks it Active.

Your main Data entry form contains a subform which allows information
to be entered in tblMiscData for the current Client record and any/all
active Categories.

It's a non-profit organization that has to collect information on its clients
for the government. The info they collect changes from year to year, & they
want to be able to add fields to collect other info based on the government's
whims. I feel the same as you you, but I thought I'd better check just to be
sure.
Click to expand...


Please respond to the Newsgroup, so that others may benefit from the exchange.
Peter R. Fletcher
 
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