Can forms auto-populate themselves?

[VirtualWebgistics]

Thanks to Fred, who has helped me tremendously, my db is almost to where it needs to be, but now I'm wondering if I've gone about it in the wrong way ... for the results I need.

This all started out as a way to enter in maintenance work orders that would repeat either monthly, quarterly, annually, etc. With Fred's help, I have it where I can print out work orders based on Frequency, or by Building. My original plan (if I got to that point) was to just be able to go into Access and print out all of the monthly ones each month, and the guys would sign off once they were completed, and they'd go into a binder.

Well, then I thought if I could put a Yes or No in each one, that I could then print a report on which ones had or hadn't been completed. Which is fine except ...

Once I put a Yes or No completion, that work order cannot be used again ... it's done.

Because these forms will repeatitively need to be printed monthly, quarterly, etc. each month as not complete, they need to be available as "not complete" all of the time.

For example, let's say that I enter in a work order for an HVAC unit, which is to be serviced monthly, I need to be able to print out that blank work order every month, over and over.

However, once I enter in that Yes/No criterea, that work order now just becomes one work order, and cannot be repeated again, because it has been completed. (I hope I'm making sense.)

So ... my question is ... is there a way for all of the work orders I enter in, to always be available as 'new' or not completed, so they can be printed out blank each month? In other words, can they auto-populate themselves, based on the monthly, quarterly, etc. time frames?

If I am making no sense, and someone would like to look at the db, I would be happy to send it to you.

Thanks bunches! Jules

 

[fredk]

Hi - Its me again - What I would do would be to split the tables.....

You will have one table that holds all of your tasks - you will add a field called frequency (which you may already have) You will run your reports (I would use reports instead of forms) each week/month based on the tasks that need to be done (similar to what you have been working on)

Then, you get the reports back and they are completed... you enter them into the database but you enter them into a seperate table..... We will call this table tblActivity for this post.....This table will be linked to your tasks table by a common field.... you will have to have a primary key in the task table and link it to the tblActivity with a one to many relationship - meaning that there will only be one task (in the task table) but many activities for that task in the tblActivity table....

Thats the jist of it - You would end up only having the task information in the task table and all of the actual activity about the task in the tblActivity table - you don't want to duplicate data......

HTH

Fred

 

[VirtualWebgistics]

Good morning Fred,

>> You will have one table that holds all of your tasks - you will add a field called frequency (which you may already have) You will run your reports (I would use reports instead of forms) each week/month based on the tasks that need to be done (similar to what you have been working on)<<

As of now, all of my data is tied to one table, which is called AllData. And, I am using reports for the print out work orders, and have only two forms, the Switchboard and the one I enter in the actual work orders. So, am I to create a new table called tasks, and tie all tasks in the reports to that table, and not the AllData table?

>> Then, you get the reports back and they are completed... you enter them into the database but you enter them into a seperate table..... We will call this table tblActivity for this post.....This table will be linked to your tasks table by a common field.... you will have to have a primary key in the task table and link it to the tblActivity with a one to many relationship - meaning that there will only be one task (in the task table) but many activities for that task in the tblActivity table.... <<

This is where I get totally lost, as I don't understand relationships or how to tie tables together. I have tried this before, and gotten things so screwed up nothing would work. [This is why I mentioned hiring someone, as (you and) I have worked hard to get this thing to this point and I don't want to screw it up.] So, not wanting to totally infringe on your generosity, but is this something that you feel you could walk me through, or should I call in someone to finish this thing? I really do feel if someone could walk me through it, I could do it ... but in no way do I want to abuse yours or anyone else's busy schedule because I don't know the program well enough.

Happy Hump Day & thanks!! Jules

 

[fredk]

At this point, I would probably suggest having someone put it together - I am thinking this is for a client? If that is the case, there are more considerations.....

It would take a few more long posts to get you where you need to be in order to make the database functional.

HTH

Fred

 

[VirtualWebgistics]

Fred, this isn't for a client ... it's for me at my FT job. I'm the Admin. Asst. for a Facilities Department at a college, and this thing is for me to finally be able to issue and track Preventive Maintenance jobs. Although our budget is strapped, my boss did say that if I needed to pay someone hourly to complete it, I could. However, I really do wish I could make it happen, just because I am enjoying actually learning the program finally.

I guess I should have thought through all that would needed to make it happen in Access, before telling my boss it was do-able. ;-)

Jules