Ok, I can't get in my head the best way to do this. ALL ideas will be greatly appreciated!

Here's the scenario:
My company needs to enter data in frmContractsMailed. That form (frmContractsMailed) needs to be sent to the home office weekly. (The HO isn't very computer savvy.) The Home Office needs to enter data in the frmContractsReceived and send that form (frmContractsReceived) back to us (on a weekly basis). Occasionally the HO might need to enter a new agent in the frmContractsReceived, but most of the time it will be one of the agents that we sent them in the frmContractsMailed. All data transfered from us to them and from them to us needs to be imported into the corresponding table. (i.e. when ContractsReceived is sent back to us it needs to be imported into our contracts received database and vice versa) Should I create frmContractsReceived with the frmMailedContracts as a subform? or should I have 2 separate tables/forms? Please help, i have reached the brink of insanity. I even took this project home to work on over the weekend!! LOL http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif

Thanks,
Audrey

First of all, Forms don't store data, tables do. So sending them the form isn't going to help anything unless they want to change a combo box to add/change existing agents from a designed combo box on the form or something. Definitely not what you're after.

Depending on how you are sending it to them, and what they need from your data, you could:
a) send them a blank copy of your database, let them enter what they have, and send it back. Use an Append Query to add their new records to your existing tables. The thing to be careful of here is that your primary key doesn't get fouled up (a randomized autonumber might help here).
b) Replication might help you do what you want, though I've heard poor things about it on this board. Check the archives for a discussion of replicated databases.
c) If they need the existing data and your database is large, I'm not sure what the 'good' solution is. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will be able to offer better advice.

Good luck,
David R


[This message has been edited by David R (edited 04-15-2002).]

You might have an easier time if you use a spreadsheet as the communication method. Export a spreadsheet with the information you already know (including the primary key of the record) and empty columns for the data that you want the HO to fill in. Then when they return the spreadsheet, you can link to it and update your table with the data that they have supplied.

Thank you both for your time and responses. Yeah. I'm kinda scared of the replication after reading all the problems on the board, lol. I think what i'm going to do is just have two separate tables that have a relationship based on the primary key(autonumber) and have them send their stuff to us and we send our stuff to themand just keep it all separate. I don't have time to make this a "jam-up" database, they wanted it last Monday, lol. Thank to all! http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/ubb/smile.gif

Audrey