Table or Value list?

[billyr]

I have a table, tblSupplies, with a UnitOfMeasure field for both purchase units and use units. ie purchased by the lb but used by the oz. Units of measure could be weight, length, or liquid depending on the particular supply item. In any case the options for each type of measure are fixed. Liquid can only be gal,qt,pt, or oz etc etc. On the management form for supplies, I have an option group to select the measure type (length, Weight, Liquid). I need cbos for the purchase UOM and the use UOM. Should I create a table to drive the cbos or dynamically change the ValueLists for them. If the most efficient way is ValueList, how do I change it with code?

 

[Mile-O]

Wouldn't Cascading Combos (see FAQ Forum) be more useful?

 

[dcx693]

If there aren't that many different purchase/use combinations, then in terms of speed, it probably wouldn't make a huge difference one way or the other. I'd prefer to do it using a table, since you could eventually create a form for users to edit the table if need be. Plus, all the queries that feed off that table would automatically feed off the newest data. I'd rather not have to edit code to account for a change in data to feed value lists.

 

[billyr]

Mile, are you thinking cboUnitType selects "Length","Weight","Liquid" and cboUOM_purchase and cboUOM_use would then offer the units - and drive the units cbos from a table?

 

[Mile-O]

Mile, are you thinking cboUnitType selects "Length","Weight","Liquid" and cboUOM_purchase and cboUOM_use would then offer the units - and drive the units cbos from a table?

Yes, instead of the option group. Personally, I'd go with tables. Once the information is in them then it's easier to remove. If I put a Value List into the database design then, should some option be removed I'd have to rebuild and redistribute it amongst the users.

 

[billyr]

Mile, thanks for the logic and insight. Tables it is!