Drop Down Menu Help

[stu_c]

i am currently in the process of creating a database on cars,

I have created a Form:

i was wondering if its possible to choose a car manufacturer from one of the drop down menus, then only get the models the company does in the next and ovously if you choose a different manufacturer the models automatically change to the correct ones?

is this possible if so how.

I how i have set it up is the list on manufacturers in one table, and then separate table for each of the manufactures models for example:

Manufacture table contains:
BMW
Mercedes
Volkswagen

Then i have another table..
Volkswagen table:
Polo
Golf
Etc

BMW table:
3 Series
5 Series
etc

-----
also i got a check box and i want wen ticked to show a text box where i can type values in

P.S. I AM USING ACCESS 2007

 

[KenHigg]

Maybe you should search the forum for cascading combo boxes...

Ken

 

[stu_c]

must be someone on here who knows how to and can give me instructions

 

[KenHigg]

You click the 'search' button at the top of your screen and enter 'cascading combo boxes'

 

[boblarson]

A couple of things:

1. I think Ken might be responding thus due to the fact that we get this same question about 25 times a day and many, many times it is obvious that nobody took the time to use the search function here on the forum to try to find the answer before posting.

2. Your table structure is not normalized (if you have a BMW table) and you should also look for "normalization tutorial" on Google and get some good grounding in it before continuing. If you don't you are only going to get more and more frustrated as you try to "band-aid" fix things that wouldn't have been a problem with proper normalization.

 

[stu_c]

if i send someone my file could someone help me?

 

[Oldsoftboss]

Post it here and we will have a look

Dave

 

[Oldsoftboss]

A quick whip up.

See table design. An example of normalized tables.

Law in Access.... only store data once.

Dave

 

[stu_c]

heres the file i got a few tables just to help you out with bits split up

the form is under customer information

as u can see you choose the required car make such as audi ect then u choose the model but at the min i can still choose models from VW ect when its got to be refined to the correct make

file attached

 

[Oldsoftboss]

Have a look at the table structure.

 

[stu_c]

thanks for your help, just wondered with the table u did is there any way to see the names in the table instead of the numbers?

 

[boblarson]

thanks for your help, just wondered with the table u did is there any way to see the names in the table instead of the numbers?

Yes, it's called a query and you select both tables and join the common field(s) together (called a join) and then you can select data from one and select the description from the other. If you are not sure how to do it, look up on Google "Microsoft Access Query Tutorial."

 

[Oldsoftboss]

2 examples of how to do it.
A query as Bob suggests and a combo box in the table.

Dave

 

[boblarson]

Now since OSB brought lookup fields into this discussion, I am going to play the other side and share:


The Evils of Lookup Fields in Tables

 

[Oldsoftboss]

You are right Bob, I NEVER use look ups in a table. Apart from the evils mentioned in the link, when using a split Db the thing can slow to almost dead. Anything to causes uses whinging about how slow the Db is should be avoided.

Just pointing out another "feature" of Access
Dave