Form controls not truly linked to table

J

Joe Access

Hi all,

Please help - I am a trinaer of Access and noticed this one issue that is
totally throwing me a curve ball. But it should be a simple thing to figure
out...

Basically, I've created a few forms & subforms built off of tables. One
problem: Say I add a new field to the table. Then, I go to design view of
the form built from that table..The field that was newly added to the table
does NOT show up in the field list. I always thought that field lists
should update automatically when changes are made to the underlying table.
Is there a way to update this field list without creating a new form?

Along the same lines, when I change field properties in a table (e.g. from
text to number, or add some value lists to the table, etc.), the field in the
connected form does not automatically update to reflect those changes. To
see the updates that were made in the table, I have to delete the field and
add it in again from the field list. Shouldn't these properties update
automatically?

Thanks for any help you all can provide.

Joe
 
D

Douglas J. Steele

Are you sure that the form is linked to a table, and not to a query?

If you use the wizard, I believe that Access actually creates a query with
specific fields in it.
 
B

Brian

When you say "field list" are you referring to the object dropdown list or to
the fields appearing in the form's RecordSource query?

If the former, remember, this is a list of objects on the form, such as
combo & text boxes, and a change to the table does not automatically create a
control (as fields are added to the table) as does the form wizard that you
may have used to create the form. The simplest way to do so is to copy
another control of the same type on the form, and set its ControlSource to
the new field.

If the latter, you may just need to show the field or use "*" in the select
query that is the form's RecordSource.

In the same way, properties of controls on forms are not updated to match
field properties. However, you can simply change the properties of the combo
or text box, etc.; no need to delete it first.

Understand that the form wizard is a form CREATION tool, not a form
MAINTENANCE or UPGRADE tool; it just automates things that you can do
manually, but it only works when creating forms, when it does not have to
worry about you having gone in & changed object names, etc. Here is a good
exercise: create a table, then create a form in Design view (no wizard). Go
through the manual steps of setting the form's Record Source, adding
controls, and setting the record sources.
 
Top