Custom Database

[JuliaR2D2]

I have to create a database at work and being a lowly intern I know nothing about Microsoft Access.. I have learned my way around it fairly well but now I need to do something kind of complicated. When creating a Contact list, if you choose to use the Template you can click on an individual person and their individual information will pop up in the Contact Details Form. BUT if I'm creating my own contact list the way I want it to look etc, but still want to be able to click each individual person and have their info pop up in a customized form HOW THE HECK DO I DO THAT?

Please please help me. *Sad pitiful look of despair and helplessness.

 

[fneily]

First a little preaching. Access is a strange beast. I'd advice you take courses at a local community college, buy alot of books(there is no comprehensive Access book), try and find someone who actually knows Access.
If you're trying to customize the templates from Microsoft, you'll still need to follow the protocols of Normalization. The Tables must be structured correctly or you'll run into problems. Just look around at the Access forums. This article will start you in your exploration of normalization:
Fundamentals of Relational Database Design

http://r937.com/relational.html

The reason I'm giving you that reference is because of your statement "creating my own contact list the way I want it to look". Access doesn't care what you want. Period. Follow the rules.
Then for stuff like clicking and something pops up, you'll need to know some VBA, DAO/ADO, SQL. So if you are new at Access, there's alot of studing ahead.
Look at the code from the template and learn from that.
Also, post how you want your tables to look and what you want to see. You create the way you want to look from queries and display them in forms. You don't create tables the way you want to look.

 

[Craig0201]

I diasgree with "Access doesn't care what you want. Period. Follow the rules."

I would write it as: "Know the rules and be aware of the potential consequences for not follwing them."

 

[JoeAtWork]

Can you give a brief description of your technical skills regarding databases and Access? The reason I ask is that I don't know which terminology I can use that you would understand. For example, do you understand the foundamentals of relational database design (as described in the link Fneily provided)?

I would advise you either buy a book or take an introductory course to learn the foundamentals. Also, for your particular problem (opening a pop-up form), since the existing template does what you want, why not look at it's design to see how they did it? Hint: look at the Events area of the Properties of whichever control launches the pop-up. It is probably the Click or DoubleClick event that you want to look at.

For this particular action, it is probably either a macro or VBA code that causes the pop-up to open. Are you familiar with macros or VBA?

 

[JuliaR2D2]

I know nothing really, I figured out that I could create a custom data base and made a really cruddy one but my boss was impressed enough to enable me with the task of creating a nice one! *tear. So after 8 hours of fiddling around I kinda thought it would be a macro as well, as far as what a marco is .... well termanology not so much. I've heard of VBA code but I have no idea what it is. Can I still be helped or am I a hopless Access cause?

 

[JuliaR2D2]

P.S Thank you so much for being so nice!

 

[lespaul]

So now you are trying to create a contacts database for your company? Do you want it to be kinda like the template that you've found?

Leslie

Have you met Hardy Heron?

 

[JuliaR2D2]

Yes, but to have extras it doesn't just as relationship type- my company works with customers, vendors etc and wants one database for everyone. Also they want it to have their logo on it.

 

[JoeAtWork]

Julia - usually we are mean to the non-professionals, but I feel sympathy for your plight

If it cheers you up, consider that setting up a contacts database will look good on your resume.

I would say your best strategy is to use the template and tweak it. Also, if you do some Google searches you will likely find other free templates that may be closer to what you want your final database to be.

Is it basically that you will have a list of Customers, and a sub-list of Contacts (i.e. each customer may have one or more contacts)?

We can probably forget about VBA - you can do quite a bit in Access without it.

A Macro is basically a predefined set of instructions. Try opening a new Macro, you will see a grid with a column labelled "Action". The Action column has a dropdown list of possible actions, such as "OpenForm". At the bottom are a set of properties (depending on which Action) where you set specific options (such as the name of the forms).

BTW, what version of Access are you using?

 

[lespaul]

my company works with customers, vendors etc and wants one database for everyone

you mean one database for YOUR users? not one database for customers and another database for vendors, right?

Also they want it to have their logo on it.

Well if you have an image of the logo you can include it anywhere in the database...on a form, in a report, wherever...

You really will be better off trying to find something that comes close to what you want and then just tweaking it (add your logo, customize the forms, etc.) rather than creating the database totally from scratch.

Leslie

 

[JuliaR2D2]

2007

 

[lespaul]

then check out Office 2007 Contacts Database

Leslie

Have you met Hardy Heron?

 

[JoeAtWork]

wants one database for everyone

No, it's better to have one database, but filter the records by entity type (Customer, Vendor, Sales Lead, etc.). That makes it more consistent and far easier to update (only have to make changes to one database).

So far I see three tables in your database:
[tt]
tbl_EntityType tbl_Entity tbl_Contact
EntityTypeID---| EntityID------| ContactID
TypeName |-------EntityTypeID |------EntityID
EntityName FirstName
LastName
PhoneNo
etc...
[/tt]

I hope it's clear from my crude diagram how the tables relate to each other.

tbl_EntityType will hold records similar to:

[tt]
EntityTypeID TypeName
************ ********
1 Customer
2 Vendor
3 Sales Lead
[/tt]

Hope that gives you a good start.

 

[JoeAtWork]

Access2007 - I haven't used it much yet, they have changed the user interface so much I find it hard to find anything. My understanding is that they have dropped Macros from it.

However, the underlying principles are still the same.

Regarding the Logo, easiest thing to do is create one subform that has the picture embedded in it. Then on every form that should have the logo, place that subform on it. Same idea with a logo subreport and reports.

So I'm not clear now on whether these are going to be a set of internal databases for your company, or you are making contact databases to give to external companies?

 

[JuliaR2D2]

Thanks!!!! ! I'm going to try all of these suggestions and hopefully one will work out! I will also probably pick up an access book on my way home to see if that has anything in it.

 

[JuliaR2D2]

Hey everyone I just wanted to say thank you so much for your help!!!! I actually DID IT!!!!

Basically I just stole microsoft's VBA code and tweeked it to be my own- because their contact list template was already doing what I wanted to be able to do with my own contact list, so I just copied it.

! thanks again

 

[Hap007]

Hi Julia,

Good luck on your venture.

If you follow the link below, it will take you to my 'Links Page':

http://www.fcs-software.com/fcslinks.html

On this page are many helpful links to other sites with free Access information.

One of the sites offers a free Access Tutorial, which I would suggest you take.

Good Luck,
Hap...

Access Developer

http://www.fcs-software.com/fcsaccessdev.html

Access based Accounting Solutions - with free source code
Access Consultants forum

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=1121