Using parameters to retrieve data from a text field

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Guest

I am trying to set up a query to extract data based on a parameter. To give you some background, the database is going to be used as a Club membership system. In one of the fields they will enter data into a field I called skills. For example: plumber, carpenter, electrician and so forth. If a person has multiple skills it will be entered in this one field, defined as text. The problem is if the user of this system wants to look for a specific skill, it could be anywhere in this field. How can I do it. I have not worked with Access that long and I have volunteered to do this database. Can someone help me.

Thanks
 
the answer is, you don't do it. your table is not normalized, and you're
going to have a very difficult time working with it. you need to design your
table(s) correctly before you do anything else.

i would suggest a minimum of two tables:

tblMembers
MemberID (primary key)
First Name
Last Name
etc, etc, etc.

tblMemberSkills
MemberID (from tblMembers)
Skill
use both fields to make the primary key.

set the table relationship, it should be one-to-many, as in "one member may
have many skills".

you may want to create a formal list of skills. this prevents data entry
typos ("plumber" and "plumer"), and prevents entry of skills you don't care
about ("knitting", "origami"). if so, keep the above tblMembers as is, scrap
the second one, and add the two following:

tblSkills
SkillID
SkillName

tblMemberSkills
MemberID (from tblMembers)
SkillID (from tblSkills)
use both fields to make the primary key.

as a newbie, i strongly urge you to read up on table normalization and
relationships (between tables, not people <g>) before you proceed. if your
table/relationships are built correctly, the rest will be a thousand times
easier to do, *and the opposite is true as well.*

below is an except of a post from an Access MVP - that's Access guru to you
and the rest of us non-gurus - that will get you started in that direction.
also suggest you buy a good how-to text if you haven't already. Microsoft
Access (specific version) Bible from IDG Books is one, and there are others.

********
You're using a relational database. Use it relationally! For some
online tutorials in doing so, here are a few refs:

ACC2002: Database Normalization Basics
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=283878

Database Normalization Tips by Luke Chung
http://www.fmsinc.com/tpapers/genaccess/databasenorm.html

Data Normalization Fundamentals by Luke Chung
http://www.fmsinc.com/tpapers/datanorm/index.html

324613 - Support WebCast: Database Normalization Basics
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=324613



John W. Vinson[MVP]
Come for live chats every Tuesday and Thursday

********



hth


slowandgo said:
I am trying to set up a query to extract data based on a parameter. To
Click to expand...
give you some background, the database is going to be used as a Club
membership system. In one of the fields they will enter data into a field I
called skills. For example: plumber, carpenter, electrician and so forth.
If a person has multiple skills it will be entered in this one field,
defined as text. The problem is if the user of this system wants to look
for a specific skill, it could be anywhere in this field. How can I do it.
I have not worked with Access that long and I have volunteered to do this
database. Can someone help me.
 
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