Several Problems on one Project!

[Da Stinga]

Ok, i have a few questions to ask and they cover a wide range of aspects on Accesss, so i thought i'd post it in here.

I'm creating a relatively basic access project for Video Games. The database is being designed from the point of view of a video game store, and so there is a table which lists Members and a table with all the information for the Video Games.

Problem 1) In my Members table, i have several columns called "Rented Game 1", "Rented Game 2" etc. In my Video Games database i have the game names and the pictures of the games. My idea is to have an output form. On this form i want to select information from both forms. I wish to have the details about the members (address etc.) and the names of the games rented ("rented game 1" etc). I also want to have the pictures of the games, which are in the "Video Games" table. However i would like the database to automatically match the name of the rented game (the field called "Rented game 1" etc) with the picture for that game.

Sorry this sounds complicated, but have you any idea how to do this?

Problem 2) I want to have a command button on one of my output forms that enables me to open a mail merge document in Word. I have created the document and inserted the mail merge areas, but i can't get the command button to open the file. How would i do this?

I would really appreciate any help at all!

Thanx a lot!

Stinga

 

[Rich]

You need to normalise your structure first, search here for Normalise or Normalize, there should be enough posts on the subject to help you get started

 

[Da Stinga]

What does normalising do? You might have already guessed, but i aint that good with access, and that stupid paperclip dude is useless.

 

[Pat Hartman]

Here's a link to get you started.

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q288/9/47.ASP

You need a couple more tables. You need a table that defines VideoGameTitles, which you have. But, you need an additional table that defines instances of these titles since your store would likely have more than one physical copy of each game. You also need to remove the rented game info from the Members table and place it in a table of it's own. Where it is now, you are limited to some fixed number of rentals plus it is difficult to use data that is stored this way.

Search the archives here, there have been a number of postings regarding video rental systems. It seems to be a popular sample for class work. You might also take a look at the template db's that come with Access. There is at least one on videos that you can use to start your db from. Open Access and choose New, you should see a selection of templates to choose from (assuming that you installed them).

 

[Da Stinga]

Ok, so after i have created the separate tables, how can i solve my original problems?

 

[directormac]

RTFM / STFW

Stinga:

She just gave you all the tools you need to solve your OWN problems.

Because we seem to have a rash of this happening right now, and because none of the culprits seem to be reading any posts except their own, I will repeat what I said to Krillin and to Tech.

This isn't meant to insult or offend in any way. It is, however, meant as a gentle reminder that this forum is a resource, not a substitute for effort.

In general, most folks here are happy to help out newbies because everyone here remembers when they were the ones banging their heads against the monitor.

BUT

There is a limit to folks' generosity, and after a while they become less willing to help people who don't seem to want to actually figure anything out themselves.

SO

You should try to work things out on your own first.

Second, hit F1 and read Access help on every keyword you can think of.

Third, search the forum and other resources (chances are good someone else has already asked your question and had it answered). Don't forget about things like books, on-line tutorials, and the excellent "Northwind Traders" sample database from MS.

Finally, post your questions here only when you can't find the answer on your own.

When you get some feedback, go back to step one. There are about 10 posts open at the moment that say "thanks for solving that problem, what do I do next?" There's no limit on how many questions you're allowed, but if question #2 picks up exactly where answer #1 left off, folks will eventually stop responding.

One final note: read questions posted by OTHER people, too! You will learn from them.

The folks here are very generous with their time and knowledge, but if they start feeling like you're just asking them to do it for you, they're going to eventually get fed up and leave (I've seen this happen on countless forums over the years) and then there won't be anyone to help with the real stumpers. Think of it as conserving your resources.

Besides, you'll actually get more out of their answers AFTER you've wrestled with the problem yourself for a while. Trust me on that one.

--Feeling-Repetitive Mac

 

[directormac]

Almost forgot...

Oh, yes. Once you have your separate tables...

I'd actually go with 3 tables: Customers/Accounts, Titles, and Inventory. That way you only have to enter info about a title one time and let inventory keep track of the actual number of copies, which ones are in the store vs. rented, etc., etc.

Then you need to set up the relationship between each table. Check out Access help and Northwinds and a lot of other good sources for pointers.

 

[Pat Hartman]

#1. Northwinds and Orders both have sample forms that display images. Take a look at them.

#2. If the following four articles are not sufficient, do your own search of the knowledge base. There's lots more articles.
ACC2000: How to Use Automation to Run Word 2000 Mail Merge from Access
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;209976
HOW TO: Use Mail Merge with an Access Parameter Query in Word 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;214183
ACC2000: Sending the Current Record to Word 2000 with Automation
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;210271
ACC2000: How to Use a Query to Format Data for a Mail Merge
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;197520