Automatic Populate?? Possible??

[KristenD]

Good Morning! I have finally gotten my database up and running and am getting all my entry in. As I'm about halfway through getting then entry done there are some things I would think make my entry easier. I am wondering if it is at all possible to make my datasheet automatically populate with information in a table. This is a static set of skills that all employees are rated on. I would like to be able to have it so there is no entry for it and all I would have to do is enter the rating for each employee. So what I would like to happen is each time I click on a new record in the tabbed control is for the Code and Description to come up. I am working in Access 2007. I am self taught and haven't really learned any SQL or VBA and am learning everything by trial and error. Thank you for your help!!
Kristen

 

[ypma]

If I understand your question , you are not using forms, If you go to design mode of the table and highlight the field you want pre populated , you should see a drop down list, under general, a tab named Default Value . Just enter the default value you want for that particular field. PS I am using 2003 so hope the layout is the same for your MS 2007

 

[KristenD]

I am actually using forms for the entry. There is a main form then the tabbed control subform(?) with a subform that is a datasheet. While I'm entering in theform, if I hit the wrong key it overwrites what is in the table and then I have to go back and re-edit it with the correct information. I would like the table to automatically populate in the datasheet form and be uneditable. I double checked the properties and it looks like it should not be able to be edited but it does allow it in the form.

 

[tfurnivall]

Hi Kristen

Two things come to mind - both based on your description, and which may or may not be helpful.

If you have "a static set of skills that all employees are rated on", then this sounds like a separate table - EmployeeSkillRatings, with a layout something like this:

EmployeeID
Skill1Rating
Skill2Rating
Skill3Rating
.
.
SkillnRating

In this way you would need to add only the ratings (and if this is not historical data, maybe not even that - add the ratings after the employee is evaluated).
You could also add those fields to the main table as fields, rather than typing in each Skill. (This is what it sounds as if you are doing).

Second thing that occurs to me is that you have a rather un-normal table. (I resisted the immediate desire to say abnormal ;-)

Because you have an entry for each empooyee which has multiple skills in it, you are in deep trouble if you ever add a skill. Even if you allow for "more than I'll eve need", folk-lore and bitter experience will tell you that "ever" is a very short time.

What would be better, perhaps, would be to have a table of Skills:

SkillID
SkillName

and then a table of employee skills looking like this:

EmployeeID
SkillID
EmployeeSkillRating

This way you can have as many or as few skills as you like. And you can then use a combo box to select a skill (preserving the uneditability of it), and a text box for the rating.

Even if you change the underlying database structure, you can still do this on the one form, you simply have to allow for adding multiple skills, and indicate (somehow - a command button?) that you are done with this part of the process.

I'm also in New York, so if you'd like to chat off-line I'd be delighted to help.

Tony

 

[KristenD]

Thank you, that would be very helpful!! I kind of fell into this job as my company decided not to go with an outside consultant to build our database and my background is Human Resources.

I do have a Skills table that contains the skills and that's it and I have it linked to my junction table as a look up field. It's not a huge deal to have it populate it would just make my entry a whole lot easier and faster!

My email is kdepuyt@thebellcompany.com. Thanks again for your help!!

 

[rodmc]

I am actually using forms for the entry. There is a main form then the tabbed control subform(?) with a subform that is a datasheet. While I'm entering in theform, if I hit the wrong key it overwrites what is in the table and then I have to go back and re-edit it with the correct information. I would like the table to automatically populate in the datasheet form and be uneditable. I double checked the properties and it looks like it should not be able to be edited but it does allow it in the form.

doesnt matter, if you set the default value via the table it will automatically populate in your form, then you can even set that form field properties to Enabled:No , Locked:Yes so that it wont change in the form!