Searching for records in a table using a form

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Jack Sheet - 23 Jun 2006 14:45 GMT

Hello

I have a simple database that contains a simple form for updating records in
a simple table.

I am looking for a better way within the form to select the record for
editing. At the moment I have a combo box which allows me to select the
record from a drop-down list. I can also use the control bar at the foot of
the form to scroll between records.

The enhancement that I require is a search, or "find record", facility, in
which I can enter a text string in a box within the form and Access would
then locate a form that contains the specified text string. I am not sure
yet whether I would have to specify the field or whether I could ask it to
search all fields. Also I am not sure how to cope if the search locates
more than one record with matching criteria.

Any help gratefully appreciated.

I am using Access 2003

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Jeff Boyce - 23 Jun 2006 15:10 GMT

If you want specific suggestions about how to do something, you'll probably
need to decide what, specifically, you want to do. Your description is a
bit vague.

I'm curious, though. Why would you need to look in more that one field for
a value? When I see a question like this, it is usually because the data is
not well-normalized (i.e., looks like a spreadsheet, not a relational
database).

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

> Hello
>
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>
> I am using Access 2003

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Jack Sheet - 23 Jun 2006 18:08 GMT

I expect you are right (about the redundancy of searching on more than one
field). I wasn't sure whether I would require it.

Perhaps one example might be if I have a person's postal address in the
table, taking up one field per row of the address, and different records use
up different numbers of rows, so that the town name may appear in different
fields, and I wanted to search on all those in (say) "Cheltenham".

> If you want specific suggestions about how to do something, you'll
> probably need to decide what, specifically, you want to do. Your
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>> I am using Access 2003

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Jeff Boyce - 23 Jun 2006 20:20 GMT

Jack

I'm having trouble visualizing an Access record (i.e., one row) where
different numbers of rows (i.e., records) are needed for an address.

I'm all the more suspicious that the data structure is that of a
spreadsheet.

Could you post the names/contents (examples) of the fields? If you want to
be able to use Access features and functions to their fullest, your data
needs to be well normalized. Otherwise, you could just use a spreadsheet!

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

>I expect you are right (about the redundancy of searching on more than one
>field). I wasn't sure whether I would require it.
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>>> I am using Access 2003

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JPC - 23 Jun 2006 16:02 GMT

The simplest solution is the built in Find function.
Edit - Find, or the binoculars on the built in form toolbar.

> Hello
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> I am using Access 2003

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