Vanishing data in form field of memo type

[Guest]

I am just learning Access and have set up a database which works fine except that the field I have set up to keep notes in keeps truncating the data. I set it up as a memo field because I knew I would need more than 255 characters. I can paste the data in fine but as soon as I move off the field in my form the data vanishes/truncates and I cannot find it again.

 

[John Vinson]

I am just learning Access and have set up a database which works fine except that the field I have set up to keep notes in keeps truncating the data. I set it up as a memo field because I knew I would need more than 255 characters. I can paste the data in fine but as soon as I move off the field in my form the data vanishes/truncates and I cannot find it again.

If you have a one-line high textbox, it's possible that the data that
you are pasting into the control starts with a new line character. Can
you arrow right in the field? Or set focus to the field and "zoom" by
pressing Shift-F2? If so, try making the textbox taller.

If not - please post some of the properties of the textbox, in
particular the Control Source.

 

[John Vinson]

Sorry this is way too technical for my beginner level. Can you explain in a simpler way what you mean.

Open the form to a record.

Click the mouse in the memo field.

Press Shift-F2. This will open the "Zoom Window" showing all of the
contents of the field. Is there any data visible now?

The problem I have is with a form.

I understand that; I was suggesting that the textbox on the form might
a) be physically too small to show more than one line, and b) that the
text that you're pasting might begin with a carriage return character.
If it does, you'll see only the initial blank line; the rest will be
there but you'll need to scroll down within the textbox to see it.

The form is based on a table and there is a box box for pasting the data. so far I have no way filled the area allocated.

Doublecheck the properties of the textbox. Open the Form in design
view; right mouseclick the textbox, and select Properties (unless the
properties window is already visible onscreen). Select the Data tab.
Is the "Control Source" property of the textbox the name of the memo
field in your table?

There is a field called notes and I have set the data type to memo which I though would allow me to insert up to 65,000 characters? so I hoped I had room for lots of notes.

If you *type* in the textbox rather than pasting, do you keep the
data?

 

[John Vinson]

No more than was visible before. The memo field shows much white space available for text but the text truncates.

Ok, we'll need more information!

Please open the Form in design mode. View its Properties. What's the
RecordSource property? If it's a Query, or a SQL string, please post
the SQL view of the query here.

Also post the Control Source property of the textbox.

 

[John Vinson]

I am lost here. How do I view the properties of the whole form if that is what you are asking.

One way is to right mouseclick in the little square at the upper left
intersection of the rulers. Select Properties from the list (unless a
Properties window is already visible on screen).

If it's a Query, or a SQL string, please post

As I have no idea of what this means I doubt if it could be one of these.

If the Record Source property (first one on the Data tab of the form's
properties) is anything other than the name of a table, click the ...
icon by it to open a Query Design window. On the menu select View...
SQL. You'll see a mass of text which may look like Sanskrit at this
point, but makes eminent sense to most of the gurus here - just copy
and paste it to a message here.

The control source property of the textbox notes is notes.

which is I guess the name of the field in your table... right?

 

[Guest]

One way is to right mouseclick in the little square at the upper left
intersection of the rulers. Select Properties from the list (unless a
Properties window is already visible on screen).

If the Record Source property (first one on the Data tab of the form's
properties) is anything other than the name of a table, click the ...
icon by it to open a Query Design window. On the menu select View...
SQL. You'll see a mass of text which may look like Sanskrit at this
point, but makes eminent sense to most of the gurus here - just copy
and paste it to a message here.

I have just about understood this and as far as I see the record source property is the name of the table.

I really am not aiming at anything complicated on my database. I have just done an absolutely basic beginners levels course on Access which covered the basics of setting up tables and forms and outputting to reports. and how to get the field on the table to the correct data. That is why I am so surprised to find that things have not worked. I thought I was doing something just so basic .

which is I guess the name of the field in your table... right?

That is right.

 

[John Vinson]

I have just about understood this and as far as I see the record source property is the name of the table.

I really am not aiming at anything complicated on my database. I have just done an absolutely basic beginners levels course on Access which covered the basics of setting up tables and forms and outputting to reports. and how to get the field on the table to the correct data. That is why I am so surprised to find that things have not worked. I thought I was doing something just so basic .

I wonder if your database, this form in particular, has become
corrupted somehow!

Try creating a new, empty database. Import your table (or tables). If
it's not too much work try recreating the form from scratch in the new
database; if that's a big hassle, import the form as well, but before
using it, select it in the Forms window and copy and paste it to a new
form name. See if this new form has the same problem.

 

[John Vinson]

I created a new database and imported the table with the data. Recreated the form - not too difficult with the wizard and using all the filed which is what I want anyway. Afraid it makes not difference the data can be entered where I want it but as soon as I click onto another field it truncates again.

This is truly bizarre. It appears that you are doing SOMETHING to
defeat the memo field. Are you sorting by the memo field (no can do!)?

I don't ordinarily do this, but for this case I'll make an exception.
Please compact the database (Tools... Database Utilities... Compact
and Repair), use WinZIP or PKZip to compress it into a Zip file, and
email it to me:

jvinson <at> wysardofinfo <dot> com

and I'll see if I can figure out what's wrong.

 

[Guest]

This is truly bizarre. It appears that you are doing SOMETHING to
defeat the memo field. Are you sorting by the memo field (no can do!)?

I don't think so, I would not want to given the nature of the data.

I don't ordinarily do this, but for this case I'll make an exception.
Please compact the database (Tools... Database Utilities... Compact
and Repair), use WinZIP or PKZip to compress it into a Zip file, and
email it to me:

I'll figure out how to do this and send it.
Thanks for the help.