Combo Box Search Question

[sadlerj]

I am new to access and trying to create a combo box that will enable the end-user to select a field in a database. Then type in the information in a text box to search for information in that field. For example: end-user can select MAC-Address and then type in the MAC-Address number to locate it in the database.

I have created the form and combo box but it will only search the rows of the table.

 

[davidbodhi]

So, you want the user to be able to select which field in your table you want to get more information on, then have them be able to type into a field to identify the exact record you're looking for and display other information about that record, once it's narrowed down to one?

If so, I think you'd want "cascading combo boxes" where the first one is limited to the list of fields and the other to field contents, depending which field is selected in the first combo.

Then the selection in the second combo determines what data is going to populate the rest of your form.

Assuming my understanding of what you want to do is correct.

If so, search on the forum for "cascading combo boxes" and variations of "populating a text box based on combo selection".

If I'm wrong about what you want to do.... <smile> ...never mind.

 

[sadlerj]

davidbodhi

after looking through all the examples. I really do not know if it is possiable because everything that I have is in one table. Is it possiable to have cascading combos with just one table? Here is a copy of what I am trying to do. In forms thier is a form called locate, I want to click on MAC Address and then type in the text box a mac address in the datadase to find it. Then the forms should display all the information about the device associated with that MAC Address. Thanks for your help!

 

[ScottGem]

My immediate reaction to your statement that all your data was in one table was that you had a normalization issue. What's not clear is what you are tracking here. Looking at the table it might appear that a Device is switch with multiple ports. If that's the case you need at least 2 tables. One for the device, the other for the ports. Something like this:

tblDevices
DeviceID (PK Autonumber)
DeviceNumber
DeviceName
IP
etc.

tblPorts
PortID (PK Autonumber)
DeviceID (Foreign Key)
PortNumber
MAC
IP
DeviceType
etc.

You probably also want some lookup tables to standardize input like VLAN, DeviceTypes etc.

 

[sadlerj]

ScottGem

thanks, that makes more sense than having everything in one table. I will try that to see how it works out.

 

[sadlerj]

What I am trying to do is create a database that will enable me to track what devices(Computers) are connected to a certain switch port on a swtich. So, when a person calls into change thier computer out I can look up thier computer by the mac-address to know what swtich port needs to be unlocked.

 

[ScottGem]

That's pretty much what I thought. Definitely start with the 2 tables I suggested. You then join the 2 and search on MAC address the port and the switch.

 

[sadlerj]

I am a little lost on how to get the combo box to work correctly. I am tryinfgto use a junction table to select what the end-user would like to search(IP, MAC Address, or jack number) and then they will type in the information and query the database for that device. I am thinking, thier will need to be some from of code written to get this to work. This was harder than I thought it would be, think I will need to get into another access databse class to learn the more higher end stuff.