problem with sort order

[idbelucky]

Hi all, I am new to this site and I am hoping that I might be able to get some help with my database which records address information of people reqesting a brochure or making a hotel booking. The problem that I am having is that the addresses are sorting in post code order, I have selected remove filter/sort and this does not do anything. I would like the records to stay in the order that they are entered at I also use this for a merge with a brochure/deposit letter and it is much simpler if I can merge a block of entries.

Many thanks in advance Pat.

 

[RuralGuy]

I'm sorry but Access (or rather Jet) returns records in the most efficient way it deems best. Think of it as a bucket of records. If you want some order then you must specify that in a query and in your case, have a field that records when the record was entered. This description is not technically accurate but is valid for your particular situation.

 

[Anthony George]

Another Quick Idea

Hi

Another idea might be to add a number field at the start of your table, then give each record a consecutive number when you type them in.

You can even add the numbers in the order you want to an existing table, after you have added the new number field in design view.

You can then open the table, click on the field header to make the number field go black, click the A to Z sort button on the toolbar, save and close the table.

Access will remember this sort order when you re-open the table.

Regards

Tony

 

[idbelucky]

Thank you RG & Tony, I will experiment tomorrow.

Pat

 

[idbelucky]

Hi Guys,
Well, in the end I went for the number field, the only snag was that I had to start a new table because I could not have a auto number because there was already information in the table. With a bit of cut and past it is now set up and working.

Now I have found this site look out for my next ?????
Many thanks
Pat

 

[boblarson]

Actually, you can add an autonumber to an existing table. The things that will keep you from doing it is
1. trying to use an existing field and just changing it's datatype. (you must use a brand new field)
2. An autonumber already exists in the table (you can only have one).

 

[RuralGuy]

Hi Pat,
Glad to hear you got things working. I just wanted to make sure you understand that AutoNumbers are guaranteed to be unique but not necessarily contiguous. In the case of replicated db's they are not even in ascending order.