Since I'm pretty new, looking for commonly implemented solutions. It seems like my idea is not that. But since JDraw asked, here's an almost brief description:
The output of this basic database is A Bill Of Lading form for a shipping company. they do art transportation - need 3,000 a year. Their bol has several legal disclaimers, checklists and other verbose static info. (all of this is in a table) The most important feature is the BOL# which is to be completely sequential - but orders come in chaotically.
As you would expect, i have all the core data in separate tables and linked appropriately.
A "workspace" table / form that allows "potential" Bols to be created, another form to "make a bol"- with a big special button.
Finally, another table where the Bol# is generated and all the finalized order keys are stored. It is this table that holds the official record of the buisness.
Now here's the hard (for me) bit, on this "make bol" form there is a button which 1 transfers all the important keys from the workspace to the bol table, (i hope to) 2 print a report of the newly minted bol and 3 the former workspace order is made inactive and disappears from the workspace.
The printing of the Report (Bol) is the last thing for me to code. Ive managed to name the files based on variables, print to pdf, in a folder of my choosing, set conditions on clicks, hide/show baised on conditions, select and add info on click. huge accomplishments for me! but when it prints the report - its the whole table each time.
ive almost found solutions - all involve using the current form id to select the id for the query the report is based on. however, im not "on" the form or table driving the report. idon't know what the id will be on the bol table it increments to the next. printing a form from anywhere is easy- but doesn't do what i want it to.
so, dim a recordset - right?