Basic but odd question

[Derek via AccessMonster.com]

Okay, i'm moving my database over from excel to access and I need to do this:

I have an access database with lets make it simple and say two columns,
Record # and First Name.

Record # is a unique number that i have manually assigned and will never be
the same.


Now what I do is run a report from this access database, and it spits out the
data i want. Great. Now I am going to take that data and play with it a
little bit in excel and next thing i know i have an excel sheet with two
columns: Record # and Code

So now i have two things, i have an access database with all my record #'s
and first names, and an excel sheet with SOME record #'s and a code.

I want access to do sort of a VLOOKUP or pretty much take the code from the
excel sheet and match it up with every record in the access database and put
it in a seperate column called CODE1.

Then maybe a week later I'll run another report, yielding new record #'s and
first names out of access and when i manipulate it in excel new codes. I
then want access to be able to do this again but this time put my codes into
a CODE2 column in my database.

Long story short...this is my way of keeping track of what clients I have
mailed what to...exactly who and what was mailed to them is contained in my
code column that excel generates for me.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Please keep in mind i am an access novice.
thanks

 

[KARL DEWEY]

Not the way you are trying to do it. You do not add columns in Access but
add records to keep track of new actions if you are not replacing old data.

You need a table of Clients and Actions.
Clients --
ClientID - Autonumber - primary key
FName - text
LName - Text
Phone - Text
ADDR1 - text
ADDR2 - text
City - text
State - text
Zip - text

Action --
ActionID - Autonumber
ClientID - Integer - foreign key
ActionDate - datetime
Remarks - text or memo based on how many character you will need
Code - could be - Integer - foreign key if you use a table. If only a few
and does not need updating then list in the table as Validation Rule.

Code --
CodeID - autonumber
Description - text