Good practice to have subform in Single Form view? (1 Viewer)

[Apples241]

I have a main form and a subform with a one to many relationship, having many orders that appear in the subform under one customer in the main form.

I have the subform in Single Form view b/c it looks nice, but I have to have the navigation buttons turned on the subform to be able to scroll through all of the orders. It doesn't look nice having two navigation bars sitting on top of each other in the form, one from the subform and one from the main form.

a) Do you know, therefore, if it is considered good practice or good form design, or whatever, to not use Single Form view in a subform when you have many items you have to scroll through b/c the navigation bars look bad or even may be confusing to a new user?

b) If so, is there another reason I should not use Single Form view in the subform--like some problem it might cause later on for me?

Thank you

 

[Ranman256]

different folks like different things.
if you dont want 2 nav bars, remove the master form nav bar. Nobody is going to scroll thru the master list, but they will in the sub form.

My main form is a master form lookup. its a continous form of all master items. Once chosen, the user gets the 1 master form w subform. Hence no reason to scroll the master form.

 

[Apples241]

Thank you for replying. I am new to Access, setting up forms, tables, etc. from the ground up.

That is clever the way you have your main form/subform set up! I never thought of that.

I have a combo box on my main form that lists all of my customers, and a user can select a customer and it makes the order info pop up in the subform below.

Can you or someone answer these 2 questions, as well?

a) (As I mentioned, I'm kind of new to this.) Is the combo box way a common practice people use to navigate through their main form?

b) If I got rid of the nav bar on the main form, I would have to create a command button on the main form to add a new customer record, correct? (Since the nav bar is gone to go to a new record.)

Thank you.

 

[Minty]

You will soon almost always add your own command buttons, simply because they can be made to do the task you want to in the way you want it.

Continuous sub forms are a very common way of doing what you are describing. With a bit of effort you can easily have two or three in a main container form all showing different data views.

I personally would avoid using the the inbuilt navigation form, it's clunky and hard work to deal with. Make you own switchboard / navigation form that works how you need it to.

 

[Ranman256]

a: you can use a combo box to get to the main form. Like I said, my 1st form is a list of all items. Users can enter a name to filter all records on just that name. Select that record, then click an Edit button to load the detail of that 1 record.

B: I have another button to add NEW. it opens the same form, but in DataEntry mode to add a new record.

so 2 forms,
1 continous form of all master records to pick, or search.
1 detail master form with a subform of owned records.

 

[Apples241]

Thank you, Ranman256 and Minty. I just want to know that I'm going in the right direction and not making something that more experienced users will laugh at.

 

[static]

If the users are happy to use it, it can't be bad.

Good design is easy to use.

If something makes your form easier to use but worse looking, it's still better.

Cut down on scrolling. Cut down on key presses and mouse clicks.

Sit with a user and see how they use the screen. Often you'll be surprised.

I used to write user guides as I developed things even if I had no intention of releasing them. If you can't describe a process in a few simple lines, there's probably a better way of doing it.

 

[Apples241]

That is very good advice. I'm going to keep that in mind: 'Cut down on scrolling. Cut down on key presses and mouse clicks.'

Thank you.

 

[JHB]

That is very good advice. I'm going to keep that in mind: 'Cut down on scrolling. Cut down on key presses and mouse clicks.'

Thank you.

So that is the "death" of the idea of having subform in a single form view.