Error-"function isn't available in expressions in query expression 'Left([LNAME],4)'

[Doris Rush-Lopez]

Following is the exact text copied from help instructions for the left function in Access 97, but when I do it in the query, I get the above message. I also get the same error message for mid and right functions. Any suggestions

Extract part of existing text values using a calculated fiel

1 In query Design view, create a query. Add the tables whose records you want to use
2 To find values in part of a field, use the Left, Right, or Mid function in an expression in an empty cell in the Field row in the query design grid.

The syntax for these functions is

Left(stringexpr,n
Right(stringexpr,n
Mid(stringexpr,start,n

The stringexpr argument can be either a field name (enclosed in brackets) or a text expression; n is the number of characters you want to extract; start is the position of the first character you want to extract

The following table shows examples of these functions

If the value in
Part ID is
This expression
Return
BA-7893-R12 Left([PartID],2) B
BA-7893-R12 Right([PartID],3) R1
BA-7893-R12 Mid([PartID],4,4) 789
3 Add any other fields you want to include in the query to the query design grid.

 

[Douglas J. Steele]

Your references are probably messed up.

This can be caused by differences in either the location or file version of
certain files between the machine where the application was developed, and
where it's being run (or the file missing completely from the target
machine). Such differences are common when new software is installed.

On the machine(s) where it's not working, open any code module (or open the
Debug Window, using Ctrl-G, provided you haven't selected the "keep debug
window on top" option). Select Tools | References from the menu bar. Examine
all of the selected references.

If any of the selected references have "MISSING:" in front of them, unselect
them, and back out of the dialog. If you really need the reference(s) you
just unselected (you can tell by doing a Compile All Modules), go back in
and reselect them.

If none have "MISSING:", select an additional reference at random, back out
of the dialog, then go back in and unselect the reference you just added. If
that doesn't solve the problem, try to unselect as many of the selected
references as you can (Access may not let you unselect them all), back out
of the dialog, then go back in and reselect the references you just
unselected. (NOTE: write down what the references are before you delete
them, because they'll be in a different order when you go back in)

For far more than you could ever want to know about this problem, check out
http://members.rogers.com/douglas.j.steele/AccessReferenceErrors.html



--
Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP

(No private e-mails, please)

Following is the exact text copied from help instructions for the left

function in Access 97, but when I do it in the query, I get the above
message. I also get the same error message for mid and right functions.
Any suggestions?

Extract part of existing text values using a calculated field

1 In query Design view, create a query. Add the tables whose records you want to use.
2 To find values in part of a field, use the Left, Right, or Mid function

in an expression in an empty cell in the Field row in the query design grid.

The syntax for these functions is:

Left(stringexpr,n)
Right(stringexpr,n)
Mid(stringexpr,start,n)

The stringexpr argument can be either a field name (enclosed in brackets)

or a text expression; n is the number of characters you want to extract;
start is the position of the first character you want to extract.

The following table shows examples of these functions.

If the value in
Part ID is
This expression
Returns
BA-7893-R12 Left([PartID],2) BA
BA-7893-R12 Right([PartID],3) R12
BA-7893-R12 Mid([PartID],4,4) 7893
3 Add any other fields you want to include in the query to the query

design grid.