TableDefs question

I have been experimenting with Allen Browne's system for using an Integer
field in place of a Yes/No field:
http://allenbrowne.com/NoYesNo.html

The article contains the following code as a way of getting a table to use a
check box as a display control for an Integer field:
CurrentDb.TableDefs("Table1").Fields("Field1").Pro perties("DisplayControl")
= CInt(acCheckBox)

Allen makes a sample database available. It contains only a table with two
fields: one for Yes/No and the other for Yes/No/Null. The Yes/No field
shows the display control on the lookup tab as 106, which is for check box,
as I understand. I can copy that field into a table in my database, rename
it, and all is well. However, if I try in my own database to select 106 as
the display control it does not work, of course. Since there are no other
objects in the sample database file I couldn't see where the code is used.

I finally figured out that I can copy the code above into a sub in a
standard module (substituting an actual table and field name) and run the
code. The named field will have 106 as the display control, and will
display in datasheet view as a checkbox. I can then copy and paste that
field, just as I can copy and paste the field from Allen sample table.
However, I cannot enter 106 as the display property for other number fields
in my database. It seems likely that Allen used a table from an existing
database in which he used the TableDefs code, and stripped out everything
except one table with two fields. Somehow the changed field has acquired
properties that persist even in another database. The custom field is
completely portable.

What's going on? How did the field transformed by code acquire properties
unavailable to other fields? Other than "106" as the display control I
cannot find a property or anything else to explain that the field is
different from other number fields.

AFAIK, Bruce, you can only set the property programmatically.
I don't think there is a way to set it through the interface.

Copying the field and pasting it into another table is the simplest way to
get it into your database.

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia
Tips for Access users - http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

"BruceM" wrote in message
...
I have been experimenting with Allen Browne's system for using an Integer
field in place of a Yes/No field:
http://allenbrowne.com/NoYesNo.html

The article contains the following code as a way of getting a table to use
a check box as a display control for an Integer field:
CurrentDb.TableDefs("Table1").Fields("Field1").Pro perties("DisplayControl")
= CInt(acCheckBox)

Allen makes a sample database available. It contains only a table with
two fields: one for Yes/No and the other for Yes/No/Null. The Yes/No
field shows the display control on the lookup tab as 106, which is for
check box, as I understand. I can copy that field into a table in my
database, rename it, and all is well. However, if I try in my own
database to select 106 as the display control it does not work, of course.
Since there are no other objects in the sample database file I couldn't
see where the code is used.

I finally figured out that I can copy the code above into a sub in a
standard module (substituting an actual table and field name) and run the
code. The named field will have 106 as the display control, and will
display in datasheet view as a checkbox. I can then copy and paste that
field, just as I can copy and paste the field from Allen sample table.
However, I cannot enter 106 as the display property for other number
fields in my database. It seems likely that Allen used a table from an
existing database in which he used the TableDefs code, and stripped out
everything except one table with two fields. Somehow the changed field
has acquired properties that persist even in another database. The custom
field is completely portable.

What's going on? How did the field transformed by code acquire properties
unavailable to other fields? Other than "106" as the display control I
cannot find a property or anything else to explain that the field is
different from other number fields.

Thanks for the reply. What you have explained is about what I had figured
since there didn't seem to be any other options for seeing properties, but
maybe I had missed something. It was just that I prefer to understand as
much as I can about what is going on. Once I could get the same results on
my own I was OK with it, and will certainly use the copy and paste option in
the future. I guess when there is an unusual option such as 106 the
assumption is that the change was made programatically.

"Allen Browne" wrote in message
...
AFAIK, Bruce, you can only set the property programmatically.
I don't think there is a way to set it through the interface.

Copying the field and pasting it into another table is the simplest way to
get it into your database.

--
Allen Browne - Microsoft MVP. Perth, Western Australia
Tips for Access users - http://allenbrowne.com/tips.html
Reply to group, rather than allenbrowne at mvps dot org.

"BruceM" wrote in message
...
I have been experimenting with Allen Browne's system for using an Integer
field in place of a Yes/No field:
http://allenbrowne.com/NoYesNo.html

The article contains the following code as a way of getting a table to
use a check box as a display control for an Integer field:
CurrentDb.TableDefs("Table1").Fields("Field1").Pro perties("DisplayControl")
= CInt(acCheckBox)

Allen makes a sample database available. It contains only a table with
two fields: one for Yes/No and the other for Yes/No/Null. The Yes/No
field shows the display control on the lookup tab as 106, which is for
check box, as I understand. I can copy that field into a table in my
database, rename it, and all is well. However, if I try in my own
database to select 106 as the display control it does not work, of
course. Since there are no other objects in the sample database file I
couldn't see where the code is used.

I finally figured out that I can copy the code above into a sub in a
standard module (substituting an actual table and field name) and run the
code. The named field will have 106 as the display control, and will
display in datasheet view as a checkbox. I can then copy and paste that
field, just as I can copy and paste the field from Allen sample table.
However, I cannot enter 106 as the display property for other number
fields in my database. It seems likely that Allen used a table from an
existing database in which he used the TableDefs code, and stripped out
everything except one table with two fields. Somehow the changed field
has acquired properties that persist even in another database. The
custom field is completely portable.

What's going on? How did the field transformed by code acquire
properties unavailable to other fields? Other than "106" as the display
control I cannot find a property or anything else to explain that the
field is different from other number fields.