Forms and Tables

[rconnell]

Folks,

I am trying to create a Maintenance database in work. I need to make it as
user friendly as possible. I have a list of say 30 machines, each of which
is associated with a room and each of which has say 20 subsections as part
of the machines. I would like to set up a form which will allow the user to
select a machine from a drop down list which I will manually enter and
depending on their selection this will change the options available in the
subsection machine drop down table. The room will also be automatically
entered depending on the initial selection.

Can someone give me a step by step advice for a relative beginner.


Thks

RC

 

[NetworkTrade]

Create a table simply listing each machine

If there really is a fixed 1-to-1 relationship between room # and machine
then put them in the same table....if not; make a table for Room #s separate
so you can easily change this in the future

Make a table of all the subMachine sections possible for all the machines -
assuming these are common to all machines it should be one table and will
keep things simple......on the other hand if the subsections possible vary by
the type of machine....then you need separate tables and have a more
complicated scenario that is probably not for a beginner (no offense meant)

Anyway.....you can then create a form with listbox pull downs for the tables
- which will be very easy.

Now the question is: What are you trying to record? You don't state that
point in your post.....I will guess you will want a yes/no or something to
track the failures...so that at some point you can generate a report off a
simple query as to how many "yes" failures sorted by machine and such....

sorry this is very vague and maybe only partially helpful...what you request
is straightforward but it is ackward to explain via typing as there are
options on how things are done in terms of presentation and such....

 

[rconnell]

It will be used as a reporting tool and as a troubleshooting tool of all
previous problems we have had with a particular section of the tool.
Management can access to see downtime and problems and the work carried out
to fix the problem. Technicians can generate a report of all work done on a
specific machine and/or a machine subsection to see if someone had a similar
problem as them before and thus help to fix the problem and reduce the
downtime.

All the machines are different and therefore they will all have different
subsections. I can generate the lists manually and this will encourage the
technicians to fill in the database through a form because a lot of
technicians hate the reporting end of the job and if I can make it quicker
and easier for them they will use it.

The first field in the form will have the machine name, a drop down list
which they select. This has to be the first field selected because I want
the lists that are seen in the second field to change depending on the
selection in the first. Another field in the form will be Time and Date
stamps of the entry into this TID(Technical Information Database) and also
text fields detailing the initial problem and the work carried out and the
root cause of the problem and also downtime etc etc etc.

All I need to know is how to make the contents of the second drop down field
change depending on the machine selected in the first

Thanks for your help

RC

 

[NetworkTrade]

Well we do this all the time for clients. There is more than one way to skin
a cat , but......

Since you state that the subsections are unique to the machine then you can
keep it simple and put both the machine & its own subsections onto one table.

For data entry - Have them pick the form for the correct machine - which you
have set up with all the subsections....that prompts them to enter the data
you need to record. They put in the appropriate data and then press enter -
and make that close the form. Can be pretty simple I think.

Keep in mind the reports that you ultimately want to generate - as this will
help you design the forms to collect the needed data...

Only so much generic info can be really given for a specific application
design - hope this helps....