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#1
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Variable Field Names?
I am trying to set up part of my database to track employee time. We have
been simply doing this on an Excel sheet. I want to be able to enter the employees name and the amount of time that they worked on any particular work item. Given that there are hundreds of work items, Creating a field for each seems to be the wrong way to go. Could someone please help? |
#2
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Variable Field Names?
You need:
a) A table of employees, with an EmployeeID primary key. b) A table of work items, with a WorkItemID primary key. c) A 3rd table with these fields: - WorkID AutoNumber - EmployeeID Number who - WorkItemID Number did what - StartDateTime Date/Time when employee started on workitem - Minutes Number how long (duration in minutes) -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... I am trying to set up part of my database to track employee time. We have been simply doing this on an Excel sheet. I want to be able to enter the employees name and the amount of time that they worked on any particular work item. Given that there are hundreds of work items, Creating a field for each seems to be the wrong way to go. Could someone please help? |
#3
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Variable Field Names?
Firstly, thank you Allen. I am wondering how I would set this up in a form
that had the same look/feel of an Excel sheet. I imagine that this form would be linked to the third table...? "Allen Browne" wrote: You need: a) A table of employees, with an EmployeeID primary key. b) A table of work items, with a WorkItemID primary key. c) A 3rd table with these fields: - WorkID AutoNumber - EmployeeID Number who - WorkItemID Number did what - StartDateTime Date/Time when employee started on workitem - Minutes Number how long (duration in minutes) -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... I am trying to set up part of my database to track employee time. We have been simply doing this on an Excel sheet. I want to be able to enter the employees name and the amount of time that they worked on any particular work item. Given that there are hundreds of work items, Creating a field for each seems to be the wrong way to go. Could someone please help? |
#4
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Variable Field Names?
Interface it as a form with a subform.
For example, you might create a form with a record for each work item, and a subform (in continuous view) bound to the 3rd table. So, you find the relevant work item, and then add another row each time someone works on it. You can use a combo box in the subform for selecting the employee. Alternatively, you could use a main form bound to the employee, and a subform bound to the 3rd table. You find the employee's record, and then add another row to the subform each time they work on a job (with a combo for selecting which job it is.) If you want to print something that looked like your Excel spreadsheet, use a crosstab query. -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... Firstly, thank you Allen. I am wondering how I would set this up in a form that had the same look/feel of an Excel sheet. I imagine that this form would be linked to the third table...? "Allen Browne" wrote: You need: a) A table of employees, with an EmployeeID primary key. b) A table of work items, with a WorkItemID primary key. c) A 3rd table with these fields: - WorkID AutoNumber - EmployeeID Number who - WorkItemID Number did what - StartDateTime Date/Time when employee started on workitem - Minutes Number how long (duration in minutes) -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... I am trying to set up part of my database to track employee time. We have been simply doing this on an Excel sheet. I want to be able to enter the employees name and the amount of time that they worked on any particular work item. Given that there are hundreds of work items, Creating a field for each seems to be the wrong way to go. Could someone please help? |
#5
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Variable Field Names?
You stated that I could use a crosstab query to print something that looked
like an excel worksheet, but would there be any way to enter data in something that looks like an Excel spreadsheet? "Allen Browne" wrote: Interface it as a form with a subform. For example, you might create a form with a record for each work item, and a subform (in continuous view) bound to the 3rd table. So, you find the relevant work item, and then add another row each time someone works on it. You can use a combo box in the subform for selecting the employee. Alternatively, you could use a main form bound to the employee, and a subform bound to the 3rd table. You find the employee's record, and then add another row to the subform each time they work on a job (with a combo for selecting which job it is.) If you want to print something that looked like your Excel spreadsheet, use a crosstab query. -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... Firstly, thank you Allen. I am wondering how I would set this up in a form that had the same look/feel of an Excel sheet. I imagine that this form would be linked to the third table...? "Allen Browne" wrote: You need: a) A table of employees, with an EmployeeID primary key. b) A table of work items, with a WorkItemID primary key. c) A 3rd table with these fields: - WorkID AutoNumber - EmployeeID Number who - WorkItemID Number did what - StartDateTime Date/Time when employee started on workitem - Minutes Number how long (duration in minutes) -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... I am trying to set up part of my database to track employee time. We have been simply doing this on an Excel sheet. I want to be able to enter the employees name and the amount of time that they worked on any particular work item. Given that there are hundreds of work items, Creating a field for each seems to be the wrong way to go. Could someone please help? |
#6
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Variable Field Names?
The crosstab would be read only. You could create a spreadsheet type
interface but it would require some code to implement. -- Duane Hookom Microsoft Access MVP "DumbWithData" wrote: You stated that I could use a crosstab query to print something that looked like an excel worksheet, but would there be any way to enter data in something that looks like an Excel spreadsheet? "Allen Browne" wrote: Interface it as a form with a subform. For example, you might create a form with a record for each work item, and a subform (in continuous view) bound to the 3rd table. So, you find the relevant work item, and then add another row each time someone works on it. You can use a combo box in the subform for selecting the employee. Alternatively, you could use a main form bound to the employee, and a subform bound to the 3rd table. You find the employee's record, and then add another row to the subform each time they work on a job (with a combo for selecting which job it is.) If you want to print something that looked like your Excel spreadsheet, use a crosstab query. -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... Firstly, thank you Allen. I am wondering how I would set this up in a form that had the same look/feel of an Excel sheet. I imagine that this form would be linked to the third table...? "Allen Browne" wrote: You need: a) A table of employees, with an EmployeeID primary key. b) A table of work items, with a WorkItemID primary key. c) A 3rd table with these fields: - WorkID AutoNumber - EmployeeID Number who - WorkItemID Number did what - StartDateTime Date/Time when employee started on workitem - Minutes Number how long (duration in minutes) -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... I am trying to set up part of my database to track employee time. We have been simply doing this on an Excel sheet. I want to be able to enter the employees name and the amount of time that they worked on any particular work item. Given that there are hundreds of work items, Creating a field for each seems to be the wrong way to go. Could someone please help? |
#7
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Variable Field Names?
Is there any where you would recommend that I start looking to be able to do
this? "Duane Hookom" wrote: The crosstab would be read only. You could create a spreadsheet type interface but it would require some code to implement. -- Duane Hookom Microsoft Access MVP "DumbWithData" wrote: You stated that I could use a crosstab query to print something that looked like an excel worksheet, but would there be any way to enter data in something that looks like an Excel spreadsheet? "Allen Browne" wrote: Interface it as a form with a subform. For example, you might create a form with a record for each work item, and a subform (in continuous view) bound to the 3rd table. So, you find the relevant work item, and then add another row each time someone works on it. You can use a combo box in the subform for selecting the employee. Alternatively, you could use a main form bound to the employee, and a subform bound to the 3rd table. You find the employee's record, and then add another row to the subform each time they work on a job (with a combo for selecting which job it is.) If you want to print something that looked like your Excel spreadsheet, use a crosstab query. -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... Firstly, thank you Allen. I am wondering how I would set this up in a form that had the same look/feel of an Excel sheet. I imagine that this form would be linked to the third table...? "Allen Browne" wrote: You need: a) A table of employees, with an EmployeeID primary key. b) A table of work items, with a WorkItemID primary key. c) A 3rd table with these fields: - WorkID AutoNumber - EmployeeID Number who - WorkItemID Number did what - StartDateTime Date/Time when employee started on workitem - Minutes Number how long (duration in minutes) -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... I am trying to set up part of my database to track employee time. We have been simply doing this on an Excel sheet. I want to be able to enter the employees name and the amount of time that they worked on any particular work item. Given that there are hundreds of work items, Creating a field for each seems to be the wrong way to go. Could someone please help? |
#8
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Variable Field Names?
There are too many factors here to post a reply to that broad question.
Access is a relational database. To design a good database, there's quite a bit to learn about how to create a relational schema. If you want a couple of simple little examples, see: http://allenbrowne.com/casu-06.html http://allenbrowne.com/casu-23.html If you want to read more about normalization, here's a link to some links: http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/acc...abaseDesign101 If you want to build a spreadsheet in Access, you can do it, but you are creating more problems than you are solving. IMHO it's not worth doing, so I am not prepared to walk you down that path. The relational structure suggested in the previous reply does not look the same as Excel, but it is relational and therefore queryable. The code to create a form that gives this kind of interface assumes a great deal of knowledge, and is well beyond what we can cover in a newsgroup posting. -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... Is there any where you would recommend that I start looking to be able to do this? |
#9
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Variable Field Names?
I agree with Allen. Don't get too hung up on creating a user interface that
matches a previous style. If you really want a spreadsheet type data entry, I would probably use a crosstab query to push values to a temporary table for editing. Then use queries and/or code to push the data back to normalized tables. -- Duane Hookom Microsoft Access MVP "Allen Browne" wrote: There are too many factors here to post a reply to that broad question. Access is a relational database. To design a good database, there's quite a bit to learn about how to create a relational schema. If you want a couple of simple little examples, see: http://allenbrowne.com/casu-06.html http://allenbrowne.com/casu-23.html If you want to read more about normalization, here's a link to some links: http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/acc...abaseDesign101 If you want to build a spreadsheet in Access, you can do it, but you are creating more problems than you are solving. IMHO it's not worth doing, so I am not prepared to walk you down that path. The relational structure suggested in the previous reply does not look the same as Excel, but it is relational and therefore queryable. The code to create a form that gives this kind of interface assumes a great deal of knowledge, and is well beyond what we can cover in a newsgroup posting. -- 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. "DumbWithData" wrote in message ... Is there any where you would recommend that I start looking to be able to do this? |
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