Log File / Notes Style Text area

bigal.nz

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Hi People,

I am after some input on how I should design an area on my form for a log style window of notes. what I am after is a scrollable readonly text area with another text area below that is not read only where people can append further notes to the log.

The read only area should have not only the note but the date/time stamp and user stamp. I was thinking of trying get something like a text area with colum's if it exists so it looks like:

01/01/2017 BobSmith Blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah
blah bah

02/01/2017 James Brown Blah blah blah blah
etc etc etc

Or if that not possible maybe just use a single line in the text box with new line separation and bolding headings for readability:

01/01/2017 Bob SMITH
Blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah

02/01/2017 James BROWN
blah blah blah blah
etc etc etc

Ideas anyone?

Thanks

Al
 
I'd use a related table with a record for each note. You'll have more flexibility and search-ability. You can use a read only subform and a text area below that appends a record.
 
Thanks Paul. Thats totally my approach in terms of the data.

What about the layout of the form? Just a text area?
 
I would advise two things from quite a bit of experience with this type of data entry.
Firstly your read only view probably should be below the new entry form, and your view should be sorted newest at the top. This will better show the more recent history and give the user the impression of adding a note to the top of the pile, rather than having to scroll all the way through the existing notes to read the last one (probably most relevant to them).

If you base your read only view on a report on a form, rather than a form, you can have a variable height for the note text to display all of it.

Add the time and user stamp silently on hidden controls on the entry form.
 
I understood most of what you said except using a report in a form which I can research and the hidden controls which I can also research..

Dont suppose you have a form I can look at?

Cheers!!

Al
 
I don't have an example of both elements of the things I mentioned on one form.

However here is an example of the report view on a form - a report allows the can grow formatting to function that you can't get on a form; The text colours represent different visibility on our customer portal.
(The rest of it is not pretty, as it's still a work in progress at the moment :D )
attachment.php
 

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Thanks - thats nice and pretty much what I am after. Will give it a go ;)
 
I don't have an example of both elements of the things I mentioned on one form.

However here is an example of the report view on a form - a report allows the can grow formatting to function that you can't get on a form; The text colours represent different visibility on our customer portal.
(The rest of it is not pretty, as it's still a work in progress at the moment :D )
attachment.php

The text field to add new notes.....was it on the subform or the main form?

Also is your main form based on a query or is the data source set to a table? Else how did you get access to fields from different tables?

Cheers

Al
 
Ok, I am a bit lost: my main form displays a record set based on a query on the main table. The subform shows the notes log, and I can add to it with a button.

But when I navigate to a new record in the record set the report in the subform is not updated. I presume I need the report to change with a paramterised query?

Thanks again

Al
 
Last edited:
Hi sorry for the tardy response - been very busy at the paying job...

The recordset for the report is a query , that is filtered to the current Parent record ID.
When you add a new note you will have to requery the subform / report to show the additional records.
 
Hi sorry for the tardy response - been very busy at the paying job...

The recordset for the report is a query , that is filtered to the current Parent record ID.
When you add a new note you will have to requery the subform / report to show the additional records.

Yeah thanks. I think it was that I had not set the child fields etc. Running very nicely now - thank you.

Here is the code for the benefit of anyone reading in future:

Code:
Private Sub btn_enter_new_note_Click()
    Dim strSQL As String
    Dim db As DAO.Database
    Set db = CurrentDb

    GetUserFullName2

    strSQL = "INSERT INTO tbl_notes (ID, user_ID, [Note_Date], [Note]) VALUES (" & ID & ",'" & strUser & "',#" & Format(Now(), "mm/dd/yyyy HH:mm") & "#,'" & txt_new_note & "');"

    DoCmd.SetWarnings False
    DoCmd.RunSQL strSQL
    DoCmd.SetWarnings True

    Me.Refresh
    txt_new_note = Null

End Sub
 

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