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Field not showing in table, but data shows in Form 1

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Susanhopes

Technical User
Jun 27, 2005
17
US
A field in our main table has suddenly disappeared. It no longer shows in the design list, or in any other field list in queries, etc. But strangely, the correct data does show when viewing the field in a form. Design view/properties claims that the control is invalid, yet ghosts of my data seem to exist.

My best backup is two weeks old, and one user has made some changes since then. Nothing that can't be done again, but a pain. Also, I just don't like this situation existing at all.

The database is replicated. My best guess is that, during a recent swap of the location of the Master to the office where I was in residence for a week, then back again to my regular location, something happened. New GUID etc. fields are showing in that table. Did I reach my max number of fields, and the last two (turns out another is gone as well) were written over by the replication guides?

Better still, how is it that the data exists in some views and not in others? Where is this ghost data living? I've repaired and compacted to no avail. Have not tried changing data in that field b/c didn't know if it would lose its grip entirely. Did one of the new replications converted to a Master become corrupted? Would appreciate any help available. TIA,

Susan
 
If you are using linked tables, and the links are not refreshed, data will persist from the last mapping. Just a shot.....

[ghost] [ghost2]


Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root
canal? He wanted to transcend dental medication.
 
All tables are internal, and all current replicas are missing the field or it would have been blessedly easy to snag it from there. I'll be darned if I know where the data that appears on the form is "living!" Are you suggesting that there is a hidden copy somewhere? Intriguing. Please tell me more if this is the case.

Suspect this is an "inside job" of some type as the usual fracas of deleting a field on the Master then getting errors when trying to synch didn't happen. I'm headed for an "all in" day when they'll get new replicas at the end of major design changes that wouldn't synchronize through.

Also, no front/back end at this time, so that's not part of the issue. (I've been around this board long enough to know that front/back eventually gets questioned ;) Why is an issue for another post.

Thanks!
Susan
 
Did I reach my max number of fields

Well, I believe that magic number is 255. We've done it here before. Out of guesses....
For something REALLY off the wall, check your field names and make sure that they do not show up in MS reserved words list. That can create havoc in code, but don't know about replication.
Good Luck!

[ponder]


Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root
canal? He wanted to transcend dental medication.
 
That is a good idea, Hakala. I don't have a copy of the current creature here at home, but tested this on an old copy. Hiding the field didn't remove it from the field list in the design, nor did it create a warning tag on the field in the form. My poor missing field is both absent from the design and an invalid control. I'm thinking this isn't the issue but will check it tomorrow if I can sneak away to the office for a moment.

Genomon, there can't possibly be 255 fields in that table, so we'll keep trying. Is it 255 fields per table, or per dbase? I did create a new one just today on another table, and no complaints. This is crazy! Thanks for all the suggestions, keep them coming, something has to work!

Susan
 
The strangest thing of all has happened. I went to recreate the missing field using the same name, and was told that I could not redefine that field. ("help" was no help, suggested I'd maxed out 32 indexed fields, not the case.) Then after I created a different field name to temporarily hold old data from a backup, I made a query to do the update and there, bold as brass, was my old field and its friend that was missing alongside. All data is intact. On Friday both were gone from the master and the two replicas. I had other people look with me. Gone. Now they are back without so much as an apology.

I'd love to know why this happened so I can try to prevent it from happening again, but will be content that my data is back. All I can guess on the fix is that trying to recreate the field name tweaked a memory of the prior existence.

It's enough to make a person get another cup of coffee. Moving on with what I was really supposed to be doing today. Thanks for the help and support from this board!

Susan
 
I suspect someone in your shop has been experimenting with manipulating the time-space continuum. Likely using some avant-garde method of cold fusion, this person could have propagated a black hole.

Black holes are created when a star whose mass is greater than a certain limit (called a Chanrasekhar Limit) collapses and forms a void with a gravitational force so strong not even light can escape. Black holes emit Hawking Radiation, after Stephan Hawking. The Hawking Radiation is given as

kT = hbarg/(2pi c) = hbarc/(4pi rs)

Where k = Boltzmann's constant 1.38x10-23J/K,

Hbarc = Plank's constant divided by 2 pi 1.054x10-23Js,

g = surface gravity at horizon GM/rs^2 with rs = Schwarzchild radius of black hole with mass M and G = 6.6742x10^11Nm^2/kg^2 (gravitational constant).

The Scharzchild Radius predicts the black hole's event horizon, which is the point on the horizon where nothing can escape its gravitational force.

Voila! Data sucked into black hole, person leaves for weekend without renewing power source, black hole collapses, data returns.

Just a thought......

[ponder]




Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root
canal? He wanted to transcend dental medication.
 
OK, so it's "Chandrasekhar".....

Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root
canal? He wanted to transcend dental medication.
 
Gemonom, I get enough of that stuff at home from my almost Phinished theoretical physicist DH. Not here, too! I bet you've also watched Star Wars and calculated that the mass of the Death Star isn't great enough for it to generate its own gravity. I've grown accustomed to that kind of thing.

And remember what they say in The Incredibles: (Some superhero or another)...sucked into a vortex. No Capes!

Around here it's more likely that someone borrowed it "for just a second" and left it on top of the climbing tower, or in the horse barn. You can't leave things out or they get nabbed. Staplers, pencils, data, what have you.

Thanks again for the help and the equations, I feel much more at home now. Happy week,

Susan
 
Your sig other is obviously a gifted individual with impeccable taste!

Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root
canal? He wanted to transcend dental medication.
 
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