Split Form Memo Field Truncated in Datasheet

[LWoods]

Hi All,

I created an electronic document management system (EDMS) in Access 2007. Within the database, users can search for documents by doc number, title, author, mandatory reviewers, etc. I am having problems with the mandatory reviewers field specifically.

In the base table (tblAssociatedDocs) the field's data type is set to Memo, because often there are more than 255 characters required to list all reviewers. When the form (frmDocInfo) is opened, the main form previews the first record and the Mandatory Reviewers field does allow for 255+. However, the datasheet on the bottom has the field maxed at 255.

Any ideas why is this happening? Shouldn't the field in the datasheet have the same format as it does in the top half of the form?

Many thanks!
-L

 

[spikepl]

So you are using a split form then. The display of only 255 memo-characters is then probably just another "feature" of a split form, which does seem to make sense, in that who would want to see more than that in a field in a datasheet view.

Is this actualy a problem?

Access does truncate display (and sometimes data) of memo fields on many occasions. Google Allen Browne truncation

 

[LWoods]

Thanks for your response spikepl

I had reviewed Allen Browne's Truncation of Memo Fields, but then posted here b/c none of the conditions that he describes (totals row, distinct values, formatting, etc.) were met.

And for the reason its important, users are selecting all of the records in the datasheet (which I should mention is filtered to accomodate the search criteria as entered previously) to copy the listing into Excel for other purposes. If the Mandatory Reviewers field is not complete, then the user may miss a number of important reviewers when circulating their document for review and approval.

I know that I could create a button to export the list to Excel, but we currently don't have the time to focus on this db. Therefore, I was hoping that the error was perhaps caused by the property settings or something that could be fixed relatively quickly.

-L

EDIT: Unless the filtering is causing the truncation?

 

[spikepl]

Check if you can show more than 255 in a datasheet (i.e. a normal form in datasheet view). If you can, then kick your split form, and use a normal form (or subform) to display what you need.

Update: Yes. Unless the filtering messed it up. Check if no filter helps.

Update2. Although, since the normal part of the form displays it OK, the filtering is unlikely as the culprit.

 

[LWoods]

Just created the test datasheet form like you suggested and the memo field is not truncated. I also tested it with the filter and it did not negatively affect the memo field at all, so I suspect you were correct in your Update2.

The reason I liked the split form was because the main form would show the record information according to whichever record was selected in the datasheet automatically -- no linking or programming required. And its not really a master/child subform situation to my way of thinking. I believe that the split form should have shown the exact same data in the top main form and bottom datasheet...

Apparently I'm going to have to carve out some time in the future to work on design changes regardless -- but I really appreciate your suggestions. Many thanks spikepl!

 

[spikepl]

Before any major redesign, I'd do one more test, to verify that this is jsut another split form quirk. Make a virgin split form, untainted by anything else, and see if the memo is OK there or not.