newbie question - entering date and time

[merlin777]

i'm designing my first db to record paient appointments.

i've been advised not to split datas and times.

Here's the newbie question: how does a user enter an appointment time without having to type the date and time in full? e.g. if i'm adding appointments for today at 11am and 1pm do i have to type year and minutes/seconds?

 

[ConnorGiles]

I'm assuming you meant Dates and Times - so here is a lovely website on Microsoft office. Google is your friend Merlin - there are millions of search results for your problem.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/access-help/format-property-date-time-data-type-HA001232739.aspx

 

[merlin777]

Thanks, Conner. Apologies for the typo.

I know what the formats are because I've looked them up as you suggest.

My question is about how a user enters them rather than what they are and that has been harder to find on google, hence asking here.

Is it necessary for a user to enter time and date in full?

 

[ConnorGiles]

My question is about how a user enters them rather than what they are and that has been harder to find on google, hence asking here.

I'm not quite sure what you mean? how to enter them but not what they are?

 

[merlin777]

the link you gave me explained data properties for date and time. I've already looked that up so I know what format I need to use - it's the general format which includes the year all the way down to seconds.

When my user enters the time for an appointment they only need to specify day and time as the year is implied and the minutes and seconds are irrelevant

So when they enter the data, how do you allow day and time but still satisfy the general . date format requirements without extra typing?

If you split the appointment into year/month/day/hours/mins/seconds I can see how that would be easy to just enter day and hour but i've been advised to keep the date/time as one.

 

[ConnorGiles]

Personally i would keep year/month/day/hours/mins/seconds seperate - easier to then call them up in the future for reports and so forth.

But don't take my opinion by heart, I'm just as new as you.
If not newer due to your join date

 

[merlin777]

i joined back then but only really started learning last week. It's good to get the opinions of someone who has recently experienced the same things as a new user.

My instinct was to separate them but a couple of experienced users advised to keep them together - i think i'll go and ask why.

 

[ConnorGiles]

It may be better to keep them together - but knowing my get it done attitude - i would just separate them - which i could then also call upon the individuals that have appointments in that specific month or year and so forth.

 

[namliam]

You can easily seperate out day/month/year from any date or date/time field.

Splitting date and time can be good because of data entry purposes, however from a database pov it is best to keep it "all" in one field as long as the date and time belong together offcourse.