Hi,

I am creating a small database to house results of certain tests. Is there a function in access that allows me to add fields if a result is out of the specification required. In other words I still need to record the out of spec results but I also need more fields to appear for the next lot of results to be entered, for example.

When cooking a batch of product I need to test the pH at the 30 minute mark if the pH is too low I will continue cooking the product for another 30 minutes and then test the product again. The cook time is not a constant so I never know how many samples are required, therefore I don't know how many fields i would need in advanced.

You don't want to think in spreadsheet terms. Think in relational database terms. You want a table for your results and you will add a record for each test, regardless of how many. You can tie it together with the id of something else so that you can pull one, some, or all of the tests for that particular id. (think normalization)

Sorry Bob I am just a novice at this, could you explain that to me again? :)

Try something along the lines of this:

Parent Table

Product
Ph Needed

Batch Table (Child of Product)

Batch No
Product
Cook Start
Cook Finish

Batch Analysis (Child of Batch)
Batch
Time
Ph Level

By linking Product > Batch > Batch Analysis you can have many batches of one product and perform your ph analysis as often as you want.

Simon