Newbie - Calculation field population problem

[Guest_imported]

using a combine statment in a field definition I have created a unique ID number. As the user inputs the field information and all the fields that are required to combine into the ID number are filled then the ID number appears correctly on the form. A license report prints once the form is complete and I had no problem getting the ID to print correctly on that report. The problem is that when I go back to the work sheet and look at the field in the actual database there is no data, the field is blank. How can I get the ID to actually populate a field on the database?

I created this application to print licenses and the user has input about 500 licenses. Now the inspector for the program has began inspections and would like to input the inspections. As there could be many inspections on a single establishment, I would like to join the inspection database and the license database on the ID field. That brings me back to the problem of no ID data in the license database. The second problem, is there a way to auto fill the ID number field for the existing 500 records?

Thanks for your help, I know this is probably simple.

 

[suesloan]

It sounds like you have defined your ID field as a "calculated" type field -- which is calculated when needed and NOT stored in the physical database. It can still be used in a join, so that is not a problem. But if you have multiple Approach programs you will need to define that calc field in each of them to use or see the field.

If you want a permanent field with that value, you need to define a regular Text type of field and put the Combine() formula in the default values "Modification formula". Then add that field to your worksheet view and use the Fill Field option under Worksheet on the menu bar (in browse mode). You can put your formula in the Fill Field dialog to fill in all the existing records.

Sue Sloan

http://www.xpertss.com