Auto Populate Fields

[LG]

I have a situation where everything today is in Excel. I would like to put
it into access so there are not so many files for each day and the processors
can use the form in the database and do mail merge at the end of the day.
My problem is I am not sure how to set up the fields now that auto populate.
For example they enter 9200 and the Agency and address automatically fills
the fields. Another is there is a reason code field and they enter 1 it
automatically enters in the explanation in the reason field. How do I get
this to work in access?

 

[BruceM]

You would display the information, not store it, for one thing.

The first thing is to understand that Access is not Excel on steroids, but
rather a completely different way of managing data. Some introduction to
design principles may be the best first step. This is as good a place as
any to start:
http://allenbrowne.com/casu-22.html

The web page contains a thorough general explanation of how a relational
database works, and specific information about how to work with Access, as
well as links to other pages.

 

[LG]

I am trying to eliminate the amount of places that information is currently
stored. We have to keep copies of all records so that is not an option not
to store it. Currently if we need to find something you have to go into
anywhere from 1-50 workbooks and each of them has 31 days.
I would like 1 spot where we can locate info and get a clear count of all
activities that are occurring.

 

[BruceM]

My point is that you only need to store the information once. You do not
need to copy Agency and Address in every record that contains AgencyNumber
(which presumably is the unchanging number that identifies the company).
Rather, you store AgencyNumber in an Agency table, and retrieve fields that
are part of the same Agency record as the number.

The question becomes whether you want a record of the information as it was
at the time the record was created, or do you want the current address to
appear for old records. If you billed a client in March and they move in
April, forgettng to pay, do you want to send the follow-up bill to the new
address or the one from the time of the original transaction? My guess is
you would want the current address. However, for shipping records you may
want to store the address to which somethng was shipped. There is no single
answer.

Access can do what you need, but it is important to understand how a
relational database works before you begin. You will be in for a bigger
headache than you have now if you treat Access like a giant spreadsheet.