OK-

So when I enter the data I am searching for on the form, a) I am coming up with an empty qury no matter what I type, and b) when I open up the query in design view to check it, I have the [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![NSG Number] Or [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![NSG Number] under Criteria about 10 times per field, instead of the one I types, and It has added [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![NSG Number] as a "field" in the columns to the right, with a whole bunch of "Is Nulls" in the bottom.

Any ideas?

Hmm... not sure what it's doing.

When you enter the criteria in the criteria field, are you putting it all in one field? and not two (because of the OR)?

(You know how in the query design form, there's multiple lines for criteria - using more than one line results in the query interpreting the two lines as being used together with an OR. But that's not what you want to do in this case - you should just be using the first line of the criteria fields. For example, one field would have this:

[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Year] Or [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Year] Is Null

in the criteria field on a single line.)

Does that make sense?

Yes, I am putting them on a single line. It looks all perfect until I try the search and it adds all this stuff!

If you just save and close the query and then reopen it in design view, is it still all screwed up?

No-- But I THINK (I am still deleting all the crap to check) that when I go into non-design view on the query it does add all the crap. And it does a Parameter Search. Also, I am actually doing this with 4 fields and the same thing is happening in each field.

Once you get everything in the query fixed the way it should be, can you switch to SQL view, copy the SQL and send it to me? or post it here?

It is also truncating some of what I typed in- so in addition to repeating it 15 times, the [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![NSG Number] Or [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![NSG Number] Is Null becomes [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![NSG Number] Or [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![NSG Number] without the Is Null.

And in another field [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Start Date] Or [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Start Date] Is Null is becoming just [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Start Date], without the rest of the statement

Weird. I am assuming it has something to do with the frmClassPayqry form and how it is built (with text boxes named, say NSG Number)

OK- SQL view

SELECT Classes.ClassName, Classes.DepartmentID, Classes.InstructorID, Classes.NSGNumber, Classes.CRN, Classes.Units, Classes.Year, Classes.Location, Classes.DaysAndTimes, Classes.StartDate, Classes.EndDate, Classes.TermCode, Classes.Price, Classes.Notes, Students.FirstName, Students.MiddleName, Students.LastName, [Students And Classes].StudentClassID, [Students And Classes].ClassID AS [Students And Classes_ClassID], [Students And Classes].StudentID, [Students And Classes].PayAmount, [Students And Classes].PayType, [Students And Classes].PayCCNum, [Students And Classes].PayCCType, [Students And Classes].PayCCExp, [Students And Classes].PayCCName, [Students And Classes].PayCCAuthCode, [Students And Classes].PayDate, [Students And Classes].PayCKNum, [Students And Classes].PayNum, [Students And Classes].DepositDate, [Students And Classes].PaymentNote, Classes.ClassID FROM Students INNER JOIN (Classes INNER JOIN [Students And Classes] ON Classes.ClassID = [Students And Classes].ClassID) ON Students.StudentID = [Students And Classes].StudentID WHERE (((Classes.ClassName)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Class Name] Or (Classes.ClassName)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Class Name]) AND ((Classes.NSGNumber)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![NSG Number] Or (Classes.NSGNumber)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![NSG Number]) AND ((Classes.CRN)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![CRN] Or (Classes.CRN)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![CRN]) AND ((Classes.Year)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Year] Or (Classes.Year)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Year]) AND ((Classes.StartDate)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Start Date] Or (Classes.StartDate)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Start Date} Is Null]) AND ((Classes.TermCode)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Term Code] Or [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Term Code] Is Null) AND ((Classes.ClassID)=[Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Class ID] Or [Forms]![frmClassPayqry]![Class ID] Is Null));

Ooh, this is a fun one!

Every so often the graphical query by example thingie screws up and adds extra 'OR' lines. Your SQL looks OK, btw....

Here's what I would try: Take the query you have now, get rid of all the criteria and save it with some different name. Then create a new query based on the query you just saved and put all your criteria on that. (The "inner query" will appear as a table in the "outer query") See if this new query works.

If not, I'd next take the "inner query" and get rid of all the spaces in field names (replace them with an underscore or something). i.e. the aliases would have names without spaces but the original field names could stay the same.

Anyway, try that for now. If it still doesn't work there are a few other tricks we could try....

Thanks tommyrot! I am about to call it quits for the day and go teach some sewing. I will try this tomorrow. I am really excited about learning Access, but I can't bother our IT people here too much or our department will have to pay for their time, so after about 4 hours with our database designer and watching her do things, I am muddling through myself for the time being. All I can say is that this is not as intuitive as filemaker, but I think I am getting it a little bit. I just wish I had a working database that I could pick apart to see how things were done.