auto field update Will 2823 12/27/2008 8:06:01 AM I tring to use the date in one field in a database to update another field in the same database automaticly (Primary date {field 1} – 280 days =secondary date {field 2}) Please break it down barny style I’m new at this. Thanks

Re: auto field update "Douglas J. Steele" <NOSPAM_djsteele[ at ]NOSPAM_gmail.com> 12/27/2008 1:09:56 PM You don't. Having a field whose value is completely derivable from values of one or more other fields in the same row is actually a violation of database normalization principles. What happens if you update {field 1} and forget to update {field 2} or vice versa: how will you know which one's correct? The appropriate thing to do is only store {field 1} in your table, and create a query that has a computed field to represent {field 2}. You'd then use the query wherever you would otherwise have used the table. -- Doug Steele, Microsoft Access MVP http://I.Am/DougSteele (no private e-mails, please) "Will 2823" <Will 2823[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:7FC2D687-E2F6-47AA-8987-49CBFC4B0DEC[ at ]microsoft.com... [Quoted Text] >I tring to use the date in one field in a database to update another field >in > the same database automaticly (Primary date {field 1} - 280 days > =secondary date {field 2}) Please break it down barny style I'm new at > this. > Thanks

Re: auto field update "Pete D." <pduffy211AT[ at ]coxDOT.net> 12/27/2008 1:20:55 PM Is this something your doing one time or are you planning on storing the date twice in the same datafile? If it is a onetime update you can just run an update query. If you plan on making it a normal feature of your datafile it may not be the best way to do it. To use the update query you will need something in each of the tables that will relate the records together so each date in table 2 is related to a specific record in table 1. As you want it at the Barny level rather than typing it all out check these two sites for instructions, pictures. They don't include music but I suspect you'll still get along... http://www.databasedev.co.uk/update_query.html http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access/HA100765271033.aspx Also, rarely is it a good idea to store the same information in one table in another table unless it is used to create the relationship in the datafile. Pete "Will 2823" <Will 2823[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:7FC2D687-E2F6-47AA-8987-49CBFC4B0DEC[ at ]microsoft.com... [Quoted Text] >I tring to use the date in one field in a database to update another field >in > the same database automaticly (Primary date {field 1} - 280 days > =secondary date {field 2}) Please break it down barny style I'm new at > this. > Thanks

Re: auto field update John W. Vinson <jvinson[ at ]STOP_SPAM.WysardOfInfo.com> 12/27/2008 6:30:25 PM On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:06:01 -0800, Will 2823 <Will 2823[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: [Quoted Text] >I tring to use the date in one field in a database to update another field in >the same database automaticly (Primary date {field 1} – 280 days >=secondary date {field 2}) Please break it down barny style I’m new at this. >Thanks As Douglas and Pete correctly say, your secondary date field *should simply not exist* if it can be calculated from the primary date. To do the calculation in a Query, use the DateAdd function; create a query based on your table, include whatever fields you want to see, and in a vacant Field cell type: SecondaryDate: DateAdd("d", -280, [PrimaryDate]) Suggestion: don't use the default Field1, Field2 fieldnames, use something meaningful; don't put blanks or special characters in fieldnames, it's allowed but can be a hassle later; and don't use reserved words such as Date as fieldnames. -- John W. Vinson [MVP]