Dates

[Kundan]

In the attached DB I have to enter dates in the field REMARKS. I want to ensure that the dates are entered in the format dd-mm-yy and that the date is not less than today's date. How to achieve this?

 

[namliam]

You dont, how you solve this is make a related table that has a date field and a remark field for that day.

 

[Kundan]

Isn't there any way to check in the present structure?

 

[namliam]

write your own vba procedure to parce and check the content the remarks...

However forcing formatting of free text fields is a constant and everlasting nightmare

 

[bob fitz]

Isn't there any way to check in the present structure?

Most things are possible but some are better than others. IMHO it would be better to follow the advice given by namlian, in a previous post, to create a related table for the remarks and dates.

 

[MajP]

I want to ensure that the dates are entered in the format dd-mm-yy and that the date is not less than today's date.

There is no purpose behind trying to force a format on a date for entry. Today's date is internally stored as 43846 regardless of what format is applied. The formatting is only on the display side.

 

[bob fitz]

Cross-Posted: https://www.accessforums.net/showthread.php?t=79404

Please read: https://www.excelguru.ca/content.php?184

 

[Gasman]

Cross-Posted: https://www.accessforums.net/showthread.php?t=79404

Please read: https://www.excelguru.ca/content.php?184

Presumably due to not liking the answers posted here?

 

[Deleted member 147267]

Presumably due to not liking the answers posted here?

not the first time
Appl.Slow
https://access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=305392&highlight=cross+posted

 

[Kundan]

Cross-Posted: https://www.accessforums.net/showthread.php?t=79404

Please read: https://www.excelguru.ca/content.php?184

This site was closed for update, hence I had to go elsewhere.

 

[Kundan]

Really, how hard is it to add an additional field for the date to separate it from the text string???????????????????? What is the argument all about? Do it right the first time, and never worry about it again.

How do I incorporate multiple dates as shown in the attached DB?

 

[The_Doc_Man]

As I suspected from your question in post #12, that design is not completely normalized. By placing an arbitrary number of dates in the Remarks text box (any amount from no dates at all to more than two) you have in effect created a repeating group.

If that remarks field remains as a text string then you have the issue that you CAN'T do what you want when the second date gets added without splitting the field, parsing the new entry, and re-merging the field. You CANNOT validate a multi-date string-oriented field without a thorough knowledge of text parsing.

The simplest way with what you built would be to enter the date as a STRING separately and parse it for validation, after which you could concatenate multiple strings. Otherwise you would have the problem that with an arbitrary text string in that field, your user could in theory place the cursor ANYWHERE in the string and add stuff that violates the date formatting of prior entries.

Using a text field as a list of dates (to be validated) in Access is a perpetual nightmare of text parsing. You need to enter those dates in a separate child table that is one-to-many with the records you show in the form.

That is not all... those dates in that format, particularly once it becomes multiple dates in the same box, CANNOT be directly linked to anything else in the DB and, given date sorting issues, will not be easily testable for ordering.

Your form and this design show common Excel-style thinking. This is not a desirable design for Access databases because Access is not Excel. Further, as difficult as this would be in Access, the "validation" part in Excel would be at least as bad if not worse.

How do I incorporate multiple dates as shown in the attached DB?

The dates have to go in a child table, one date per row, because in that format, you can validate dates in fairly specific ways yet still have a list.

 

[Kundan]

Each comment should be a separate ROW in the table:

CommentID
ForeignKey (if necessary)
CommentDT
UserID
Comment

That gives you all the control you need. You can find comment made by a specific person or during a specific date range. You only have to look at the comment itself if you need to find text strings.

Mushing things into a single field saves NOTHING!!!! and causes extra work to boot.

In the attached DB I have made a modification in which I can enter the details in a pop up form. I want the form to open in Datasheet view, but it is opening in form view I don't know why? Please guide me.

 

[isladogs]

Just tested. Both forms open in datasheet view

 

[bob fitz]

In the attached DB I have made a modification in which I can enter the details in a pop up form. I want the form to open in Datasheet view, but it is opening in form view I don't know why? Please guide me.

Use the fo;;owing command to open the form:

DoCmd.OpenForm "Frm_REMARK", [COLOR="Red"]acFormDS[/COLOR]

 

[Kundan]

I have written some more code but it is not working. Please guide me.

 

[Kundan]

Where is the mistake?

 

[bob fitz]

In the attached DB I have made a modification in which I can enter the details in a pop up form. I want the form to open in Datasheet view, but it is opening in form view I don't know why? Please guide me.

DoCmd.OpenForm "Frm_REMARK", acFormDS

Will open the form in datasheet view but you appear to be ignoring the advice you have been given regarding your tables. I've been a forum member for quite a few years and I have observed that members stop trying to help when the advice given is ignored.

 

[Kundan]

Thanks a lot. I will study your model.