Question Creating a profile/database?

[samjl6]

I'm quite new to Access, but have started using it to monitor all of my mailing list subscribers and purchase orders.

My question is; is there a way to create a profile on each person on my database, to show their contact details and whether they've made a purchase from me before, or must I literally just make a table entering each individual person and purchase?

My boss (in another job) showed me very quickly an extremely old database one of his old employees had made for him years ago containing all of his clients, each shown individually, and he was able to click through each one, and each window showed the client's name, contact details, personal details, etc. and he just had hundreds of entries for all of his clients and was able to scan through each individual one. I am 99% sure he said it was on Microsoft Access that he'd done it.

Anyone know how I could possibly do this? I just want to monitor how many of mailing list subscribers have also made purchases and whatnot, as I do rewards for them, and it'll be much easier to view each person's profile and the orders they've made than have to scan through a table to find each separate order?

 

[pbaldy]

What is your table structure? I'd expect (at least) a table for the subscribers and a table for their orders. The order table would have the ID field from the subscribers table as a foreign key. Then you could have a form based on the subscriber table and a subform based on the orders table. Master/child links would keep them in sync with each other. If you use the wizard to add the subform to the main form, it will ask about the linking field and set that up for you.

 

[samjl6]

Oh gosh, I am VERY new to using Access, so you've just confused me a rather large amount there! Yes, I have a table for purchase orders and a table for subscribers. How do I go about linking them? (Preferably a nice basic, step by step instruction if it's not too much trouble to ask?)

 

[pbaldy]

Basically you create a form based on the subscriber table that displays the info you want. It should be in single form view (one record displayed at a time). Create another form based on the orders table, use continuous or datasheet view for that. Then use the subform wizard to put the second form on the first. It should ask about the linking field(s).

 

[samjl6]

Thank you. Now that I've made my forms, how do I view each individual's form? Like if I wanted to scroll through and find an individual's details (now also with the orders table attached to it), how would I do it?

*Sorry if I sound stupid! I'm really really new to this!

 

[pbaldy]

If you left the navigation buttons on the form, that's one way (the arrows at the bottom). Another common method is to use the combo box wizard on the main form and choose the third option, "Find a record...".

 

[smig]

Your questions are the very basics of Access.
The linking is the Key for all Access work.
I suggest you get a basic book of Access to learn the basics.