If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Lookup field and Relationships
I am having trouble understanding a design concept. I am setting up an
employee database for the first time. At issue is how to handle the actions entered into a log table. I have a table for employee's info, and log table that i am using to keep track of actions performed on employees, i.e. new hire, raise, termination, etc. It seems appropriate to have the log table include a FK for an actions table with all of the possible actions. in the design view of the log table, i can see that the action field is set as a combo box with a row source of the actions table PK, yet I don't see a relationship in the relationships view. Is this a problem? I tried dragging the field over to establish the relationship, but the field properties don't match. (log table = text) Changing the data type to number wants to delete all of the entries. So it seems like I should do an update query to change the text to the code of the FK from the actions table to create the relationship. Bottom line, why is there no relationship, and does it matter long term? thanks in advance. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Lookup field and Relationships
It sounds like you are describing trying to use the "lookup field" data type
in an Access table. If so, then you are re-discovering reasons why this is not a good idea. For one thing, as you point out, it's hard to spot the relationships. For another, the field in the table displays the looked-up value, but it is actually storing the key value. For yet another, working directly in the table like this is a mistake. If you only had a spreadsheet, you'd use it ... but Access only stores data in tables. You use Access forms to add/edit data because forms provide much more control. More info, please... Regards Jeff Boyce Microsoft Access MVP -- Disclaimer: This author may have received products and services mentioned in this post. Mention and/or description of a product or service herein does not constitute endorsement thereof. Any code or pseudocode included in this post is offered "as is", with no guarantee as to suitability. You can thank the FTC of the USA for making this disclaimer possible/necessary. "jrav" wrote in message ... I am having trouble understanding a design concept. I am setting up an employee database for the first time. At issue is how to handle the actions entered into a log table. I have a table for employee's info, and log table that i am using to keep track of actions performed on employees, i.e. new hire, raise, termination, etc. It seems appropriate to have the log table include a FK for an actions table with all of the possible actions. in the design view of the log table, i can see that the action field is set as a combo box with a row source of the actions table PK, yet I don't see a relationship in the relationships view. Is this a problem? I tried dragging the field over to establish the relationship, but the field properties don't match. (log table = text) Changing the data type to number wants to delete all of the entries. So it seems like I should do an update query to change the text to the code of the FK from the actions table to create the relationship. Bottom line, why is there no relationship, and does it matter long term? thanks in advance. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Lookup field and Relationships
i can see that the action field is set as a combo box with a row source of
the actions table PK, yet I don't see a relationship in the relationships view. Is this a problem? Yes. You are attempting to use a lookup field in the table -- do not do that. tblEmployee -- EmpID - Primary key FName LName Gender DOB etc tblActions -- ActionID - Primary key Type - tblEmpActions -- EmpActionID - Primary key EmpID - foreign key ActionID - foreign key ActionDate - InitiatedBy - EndDate - etc Set a one-to-many relationship between the tblEmployee & tblEmpActions and tblActions & tblEmpActions selecting Referential Integerity and Cascade Update. Use a form/subform with Master/Child links set on the EmpID. Use a combo to select action Type and the ActionID bound to the tblEmpActions table. -- Build a little, test a little. "jrav" wrote: I am having trouble understanding a design concept. I am setting up an employee database for the first time. At issue is how to handle the actions entered into a log table. I have a table for employee's info, and log table that i am using to keep track of actions performed on employees, i.e. new hire, raise, termination, etc. It seems appropriate to have the log table include a FK for an actions table with all of the possible actions. in the design view of the log table, i can see that the action field is set as a combo box with a row source of the actions table PK, yet I don't see a relationship in the relationships view. Is this a problem? I tried dragging the field over to establish the relationship, but the field properties don't match. (log table = text) Changing the data type to number wants to delete all of the entries. So it seems like I should do an update query to change the text to the code of the FK from the actions table to create the relationship. Bottom line, why is there no relationship, and does it matter long term? thanks in advance. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|