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Sophia Brooks - Aug 16, 2005 8:27:00 am PDT #4020 of 10003
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here

Hi all

I have 2 questions:

I am have just changed jobs and have gone from using Filemaker Pro to Microsoft Access. Does anyone have any recommendations as to books, tutorials, etc. I need to be able to build reports, queries, etc. What I would really like is a resource that tells me how to do what I alread know how to do in Filemaker in Access, like a translator or something!

Does anyone know how to do a find in Access? That is, I can't figure out how to easily locate groups of records (like, say everyone who took a certain class). I have a database that was built by my boss, and he has taken away the title bar (file, edit, etc), so I can't build a query (if that is what I do. He finds students in a class by pageing through them until he finds to ones he wants. This is driving me buggy!

Thanks


le nubian - Aug 16, 2005 8:29:24 am PDT #4021 of 10003
"And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water."

Sophia,

I started teaching myself Access and then stopped after finding that most of what I needed done for my project could be done in Excel.

Microsoft Access for Dummies is a good book.


tommyrot - Aug 16, 2005 8:31:22 am PDT #4022 of 10003
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.

Does anyone know how to do a find in Access? That is, I can't figure out how to easily locate groups of records (like, say everyone who took a certain class).

"Find" in access only finds one record at a time. To find a group of records that meet certain criteria, you need to filter a table or create a query.

and he has taken away the title bar (file, edit, etc), so I can't build a query (if that is what I do.

Oops, just read that. OK, you can filter whatever table or form you're in by right-clicking on the field you want to filter by.


Jessica - Aug 16, 2005 8:32:33 am PDT #4023 of 10003
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

It's been ages since I used Access, but I remember there being an icon that looked like a funnel that allowed you to filter records by whatever criteria you put in. (I think it was called "filter")

[eta: Oh, I didn't see the bit about the missing tool bar. Is there anything under the View menu that can get it back for you?]


Sophia Brooks - Aug 16, 2005 8:37:51 am PDT #4024 of 10003
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here

OK

The way the datbase is set up, there is a list of contacts. Each contact has multiple classes, which I assume are in another table from the student, but it is showing on the form. When I rightclick to filter, it still hows me ALL the students, but if they didn't take that class, their classes section is blank.

ALL I WANT TO DO IS SEND A @$#! EMAIL!!!!

(sorry, I don't know what got into me) I want to make them buy me Filemaker, but I know they won't.

But, thanks-- the rightclick does work!


Sophia Brooks - Aug 16, 2005 8:39:23 am PDT #4025 of 10003
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here

Oh- and Jessica, I don't even see the view menu- just the page he has created.

It is like I am using a completely non-beta tested database built by someone who is just starting out building a database, but I can't get behind it to figure out what is going on.


Jessica - Aug 16, 2005 8:40:44 am PDT #4026 of 10003
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset

Oh- and Jessica, I don't even see the view menu- just the page he has created.

Gah, how annoying. They should totally buy you Filemaker!


Sue - Aug 16, 2005 8:42:11 am PDT #4027 of 10003
hip deep in pie

Sophia, I have gone from Access to Filemaker in the past, and found them really similar. I think you shouldn't have a hard time translating your skills. However, I'd get that menu bar back!

Can you get your boss to show you how to get in the back end.


tommyrot - Aug 16, 2005 8:47:06 am PDT #4028 of 10003
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.

but I can't get behind it to figure out what is going on.

Do you have a database window?

Also, do you have a bar right under the title bar? Where the File, Edit, etc. would be? Right click on that and select "customize".

Also, you could create a new Access database and link to the tables in the one you're working with. Linking means you edit the data directly (it's not an import) so you'll have access to the data and the menu bars too.


DXMachina - Aug 16, 2005 8:56:10 am PDT #4029 of 10003
You always do this. We get tipsy, and you take advantage of my love of the scientific method.

As they're saying, it would really help if you had the menus and toolbars available. The ability to design a query would be even better. If you do get the toolbar back, the little binoculars is the icon for find.