Multiple users not networked

[tMitch]

Hi -

I have a situation where multiple users need to use a database without being networked. Users will be adding and updating information. I will then have to append this data to the Main Database, getting rid of duplicate information (if different users independently add the same information) and yet keeping Autonumber Id relationships between tables intact. Before I spend days on figuring out whether this is possible, can someone tell me if it is or not? And if so, what is the best way to do this – delete duplicate and append queries? If I delete duplicates, I will be deleting Autonumber ID relationships. Is there a way to then automatically update foreign key Ids for those duplicate records that will be deleted?

Also, I don't know how to code, so if there is a way to do this it needs to be relative uncomplicated.

Thanks!!

 

[dcx693]

Don't even bother trying to figure out the mess with duplicates. Why not set up your data table so that it won't accept duplicates in the first place? That way you can use append queries to add data from your new tables to your existing tables, duplicates will be skipped automatically.

 

[tMitch]

The problem is when I give 2 people (or more) copies of the database to use, they will be adding new info and new Autonumbers – which means they are both adding different info with the same Autonumber ID (i.e., they are adding new plants to tblPlantList). TblPlantList is connected to another table (tblMHPlantList) that lets them select plant from tblPlantList and choose a size. Then tblMHPlantList is connected to a project table that lists all Project Plants with quantities. So, when I bring in both copies of the database information (append to tblPlantList and tblMHPlantList) I will be getting different info for identical Autonumbers in both tblPlantList and tblMHPlantList. If I get rid of duplicates, I am getting rid of Primary key connections to the other tables.

Does that make sense? Is there some other way I should be organizing this to accommodate this situation?

 

[tMitch]

Thank you Pat! That is the info I was looking for - replication and synchronization!