Solved Display Name Instead of Id In Form (1 Viewer)

[jo15765]

I have a table that has a itemId column, then another table that has the itemName. I created a form for the table that has the itemId, so numeric values are displaying on the form. How can I have the form "lookup" or display the itemName so I have a meaningful name on screen for non-technical people?

 

[theDBguy]

You could try using a Combobox for that field.

 

[jo15765]

You could try using a Combobox for that field.

ummmm, over my head here...how would I do that?

 

[theDBguy]

ummmm, over my head here...how would I do that?

Did you want the user to edit the data or are they supposed to just look at it?

In the form's design view, you can replace the textbox with a combobox and assign a row source that uses the table with the descriptive name.

If you don't want the user to change that data, you can go to the record source of the form and simply use a query adding the other table, so you can pull the descriptive name instead of the numeric value.

 

[jo15765]

Ahh....I do not want the user to be able to edit/modify just see the "pretty" name

Okay, that makes sense to me. I originally clicked on the table and did build form, Maybe I should have clicked both tables and not just one

 

[jo15765]

okay that was super easy, looking at the form source, and using the queyr editor to build out my query!

 

[Pat Hartman]

Unless you have turned wizards off, the wizard will pop up to help you when you add a combobox to a form. The form wizard isn't smart enough to create the combo initially. Once you understand how they work, you can right-click on a text box and ask Access to convert to a combo but you need to know what all the settings need to be. So, for now, delete the text box, add the combo in its place and follow the wizard. You need to do two things after the wizard is done:
1. change the name of the combo to something meaningful like "cboMyFieldName"
2. Change the tab order on the form so that the combo replaces the text box in the sequence as the user tabs through the controls.

 

[Pat Hartman]

If you join the tables in the query, make absolutely sure to lock the control bound to the text field. You do not want to accidently update it. The proper way to update a field of this type is by using a combo - see previous reply.