Question The Forgotten Access Template

[jwolsr]

Believe it or not there have been and still are many using and/or referring to the Access template NorthWind. This template is an excellent beginning for depicting a manufacturer’s environment but there is no one upgrading, correcting or improving it. Many have asked questions in several forums but frequently there are no answers and the database template remains a homeless orphan.

A compelling question that has been repeated is why the core table “Invoices” never gets populated with currency amounts. Anyone trying this will see that an order can be created and populated with products and quantities from inventory that is priced, shipped to a customer on a specified date by a specified carrier, and then invoiced complete with ship date, amounts, prices, totals, etc. BUT… the invoice data never gets into the “Invoices” table.

Surely someone who has studied the VBA has uncovered the error by now but it has been kept a secret. Can anyone shed a light on this?
Thanks

 

[AccessJunkie]

Hi,

Which version of the Northwind template are you using? It's not clear to me from your post which version you are using.

--------------------
Jeff Conrad - Access Junkie - MVP Alumnus
Senior SDET - Access Test Team - Microsoft Corporation

Author - Microsoft Access 2013 Inside Out
Author - Microsoft Access 2010 Inside Out
Co-author - Microsoft Office Access 2007 Inside Out
Access 2007/2010/2013 Info: http://www.AccessJunkie.com

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[jwolsr]

My last copy was opened with Access 2010 but I can't find a version date on Northwind except that it opens with an Access 2007 file format. I've tried 2003 and 2007.
I would be willing to try anything at this point as I've searched all over for a solution to the mysterious blank Invoice table. I just got a note from another forum moderator stating that the fields are probably useless ??? I'm sure that IT IS IN THE VBA!

Thanks at least for your reponse.

 

[AccessJunkie]

Hi,

The version of Access you are opening Northwind with isn't quite as important as what version of Access that copy of Northwind was originally created for. The Northwind databases created for Access 2003, Access 2007, and Access 2010 are each vastly different in their implementation. The Access 2010 one is actually a web database.

The easiest way I can tell is if you post a screenshot of the main home page of the Northwind database you are using.

--------------------
Jeff Conrad - Access Junkie - MVP Alumnus
Senior SDET - Access Test Team - Microsoft Corporation

Author - Microsoft Access 2013 Inside Out
Author - Microsoft Access 2010 Inside Out
Co-author - Microsoft Office Access 2007 Inside Out
Access 2007/2010/2013 Info: http://www.AccessJunkie.com

----------
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.mspx
----------

 

[AccessJunkie]

Hi,

You haven't got back to me yet on what specific Northwind database version you are using, but I did some quick checking on the 2007 version and the 2010 version (this one is a web database).

In both of these versions, the workflow is as following:
- When you start creating a new order, the information about the basic order is first held in the Orders table.
- Once you mark the order as "Invoiced" (this is the key step I think you are missing) then data is written to the Invoices table to track the invoice
- Essentially once an order has been invoiced then it shouldn't be changed anymore
- The next workflow steps are to ship the order, put in payment information when paid, and then finally close the invoice.

So the Invoices table is indeed used but I think you're missing the key step in the workflow process with these sample applications. If you're not sure how to invoice an order in the 2007 and 2010 Northwind samples, post back and I'll walk you through it.

Hope that helps,

--------------------
Jeff Conrad - Access Junkie - MVP Alumnus
Senior SDET - Access Test Team - Microsoft Corporation

Author - Microsoft Access 2013 Inside Out
Author - Microsoft Access 2010 Inside Out
Co-author - Microsoft Office Access 2007 Inside Out
Access 2007/2010/2013 Info: http://www.AccessJunkie.com

----------
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.mspx
----------