problems trying to change/use record definitions

[JSH20120710]

As I proceed with my development I continue to rename fields. The effect of those renames is unclear to me. They seem to effect some things and not others.

What rules do I need to know about renaming the fields in my database and the effect on the forms I'm working on.

 

[Mihail]

In the forms/reports you must manually restore the control sources to the (renamed) fields.
Also, if you have row sources for other controls (comboboxes, textboxes) you must manually update thee row sources queries.

In the queries, you must manually run the queries until the queries are no more ask for parameters.

Can be other issues that I don't know.
I speak only regarding to Access 2007 (or new versions).

 

[JSH20120710]

Thank you for your most kind and gracious effort, alas as I will attempt to explain it is no help.

You wrote
In the forms/reports you must manually restore the control sources to the (renamed) fields.

I have no idea what "manually restore the control sources" means and even less information what to click where to make it happen.

You might as well have written that I need to tweak the parambulator factor in the tack-rab in accordance with the lunar oomplah.

I'm certain that you are right and I'm most grateful, I'm just not further along in my search for a solution.

Similarly you wrote:
Also, if you have row sources for other controls (comboboxes, textboxes) you must manually update thee row sources queries.

Again, I do not know what to click where to "manually update" whatever is required.

I'm truly appreciative of your attempt, but I just am don't know what you are talking about. My fault. I've only been trying to use forms for a few days only working in my spare time.

In general I need an answer to this: suppose I specify a table and create a form based on that table and then after the form is created, go into the table and rename every field. What should I do next?

 

[Mihail]

Ok. I don't understand from your first post that you are at very basics level.
Lets try another approach: One very specific question from you, one very specific answer from me (or us). OK ?

suppose I specify a table and create a form based on that table and then after the form is created, go into the table and rename every field. What should I do next?

This is a very specific question and here you are my very specific answer:
Open the form in design view. Some (or all, if you change the name for each field) of your controls will have a little green (not sure about the color) triangle in the top left corner.
That mean that that control has loosed it's link to the field (the control no more recognise the field name).
So, open the Property Sheet, go to Data tab, then, from the drop down list in the Record Source, choose the proper field.

 

[JSH20120710]

Most gracious.
I'm not asking my questions well so I will try again being more specific.
I have a form.
When I look in Design view I can see the label for the field: seat_nm.
I can see the Name of the field on the form: seat_nm.
But if I look in the Property Sheet the name is still the old name: seat_name.

Similarly I have a label of a field on the form: cncl_web_root.
I can see the name of the field on the form: cncl_web_root.
But if I look in the Property Sheet the name is Text55.

Those disconnects are bothering me. Do I just have to start over on my forms if I wish to change the name of fields in a table?

 

[Mihail]

What you see in the label is NOT the label name. It is the label CAPTION.
If you will take a look in the property sheet you will see (of course, that label mus be selected).
1) Under the Format tab, Captin row: the caption of the label.
You can replace this with anything you can think (except to make empty) and no functionality will be affected. By doing this you will affect ONLY the visual impact. So, the label act as... a label. You can write Jack Daniels on a label and put this label on a bottle with water. Hope you understand that the water will remain... water . If the water will become wisky thean PLEEEASSSEEEE tell me !!!!!!!
2) Under the Other tab, Name row: the name for that label.
THIS name is used by VBA (Visual Basic for Applications - not for Access how I have heard sometimes) if you wish to refer in code to that label. Again you can change this name. This time, if you have some code that refer the old name you will encounter an error at run time.

Let me know if you have understand, because my English is...as you see.

 

[JSH20120710]

What you see in the label is NOT the label name. It is the label CAPTION.
If you will take a look in the property sheet you will see (of course, that label mus be selected).
1) Under the Format tab, Captin row: the caption of the label.
You can replace this with anything you can think (except to make empty) and no functionality will be affected. By doing this you will affect ONLY the visual impact. So, the label act as... a label. You can write Jack Daniels on a label and put this label on a bottle with water. Hope you understand that the water will remain... water . If the water will become wisky thean PLEEEASSSEEEE tell me !!!!!!!
2) Under the Other tab, Name row: the name for that label.
THIS name is used by VBA (Visual Basic for Applications - not for Access how I have heard sometimes) if you wish to refer in code to that label. Again you can change this name. This time, if you have some code that refer the old name you will encounter an error at run time.

Let me know if you have understand, because my English is...as you see.

Been gone a while and just now back.
I will attempt to reply.

I am not clear on most of what you said.
I will try to say it again.
Please understand I am attempting to avoid all technical terms (which have precise/narrow meanings) and use common English terms.

When I look in Design view I can see the caption for the field: seat_nm. (Admittedly it could be ANYTHING without impact.)
I can see the Name of the field on the form: seat_nm.
But if I look in the Property Sheet the name is still the old name: seat_name.

This happened, I THINK, because I changed the name of the field from seat_name to seat_nm in the database.

So, my question is "after I change the names of 20 or 30 fields, how do I best deal with that changing? Is it best to just start the form definition from scratch?

As another example:
I can see the name of the field on the form: cncl_web_root.
But if I look in the Property Sheet the name is Text55.

How do I fix that?

Ask me again if I am not making sense.

 

[JSH20120710]

a further follow up

if I add a new field to the database and then stick it onto the form how do I get all the naming correct?

More and more it seems that the answer is to just start over but before I throw out what I've done and start over, I want to be sure.

 

[Mihail]

As another example:
I can see the name of the field on the form: cncl_web_root.
But if I look in the Property Sheet the name is Text55.

How do I fix that?

My English is not very good, but is not so bad (I hope).
Lets try again:
The fields are ONLY in the tables. In forms there are NOT fields. No one. Nothing. Nichts. Aucune. Zero. Deloc.
In the form you have ONLY controls. This controls act as windows. I mean real windows. Hose's windows.
Using this windows you can see the values in the tables.
Now, every value in a table is stored in a field (and row).
The controls allow you to see this values.
Every control has a name. Like house's windows (TheWindowFromDiningRoom or TheWindowFromBedroom). The name of the window have nothing to do with what you see in that window (maybe the ocean, maybe the mountains or the desert). In your case the window name is Text55 and this name has nothing in common with what you see in this window (field cncl_web_root).
At design time, you can see the field name in this window. At run time you will see the values from that field.

So, until now, is nothing to fix here.
If, at design time, in a control you see the good name for a field, is nothing to fix. All is OK. That control will allow you to see the values from that field at run time. Even you will give to that control, as name, yours girl friend name (hope you are a male ).

Have you understand now ?

 

[JSH20120710]

so to attempt to summarize.
If I want it to be as though I started from scratch, then I must start over.
ONLY then will the text-name shown in the Property Sheet be the same as the text name in the area of the form displaying values and there is no other way to make them the same except to start over.
CORRECT?

 

[JSH20120710]

or to give a different example, if I start out with a database record with three fields named A, B and C and then after I build my form I change the names to B, C and A respectively, I'll be eternally hozed and should start over?
Correct

 

[Mihail]

CORRECT?

NO. You can change the name of a control in WHATEVER you wish.
Even in the... field name.
So, you can replace the name Text55 with cncl_web_root.
Why you don't try ?

 

[JSH20120710]

I will now tell you of my trial. I'm sure you are right, I am just not understanding.

On my form I have two boxes. The left box says "seat_person_nm". the right box says "seat_person_nm". the right box shows the field named seat_person_nm in my database.

if I show the property sheet it says "seat_person". if I try to change that name (by clicking the down arrow to bring up the list" the option "seat_person_nm" is NOT in the list.

another example.
A left box says "cncl_web_root". the right box says "cncl_web_root". The field in the database is named "cncl_web_root".

The property sheet says "Text55". If I try to change that name (by clicking the down arrow to bring up the list, the option "cncl_web_root" is NOT in the list.

So far, everything seems to point to the need to throw away what I have done and start over. There seems to be NO WAY, to move forward.

 

[JSH20120710]

PS: I'd be happy to email you the database if you would like.

 

[Mihail]

I'm sure, very sure, that I can "fix" that. But if I do this, you don't understand what I do.
So, before I take the decision to surrender , choose from one of this options:
1) Upload the database here, on the forum, or email to me at alt.mihai@yahoo.com and I do necessary changes in it.
2) Contact me via Yahoo Messenger (alt.mihai@yahoo.com) in order to try to explain you "live".
3) Lets try to use the TeamViewer program and Yahoo Messenger in the same time. If you don't know what TeamViewer is, do a search on Google.