Hi Bob, The color didn't come through.
Normalization is not specific to Access, but to relational database design in general. If you do business with some customers more than once, for different reasons then you should have at least two tables: Customers: data describing each customer, once record per customer. This table must contain a primary key; the easiest way to do that is with the access autonumber field. Projects (or the like): data describing each time you do business with the customer, including a description of the reason. This table has a foreign key which identifies the customer by pointing to a record in the customers table. tblCustomers:CustKey,Name 1,Alice 2,Bob tblProjects:ProjKey,CustKey,ProjDescr,ProjDate 101,1,Replaced front door,1 Dec 2006 102,1,Replaced back door,1 Jan 2007 103,2,Painted kitchen,1 Feb 2007 104,1,Tiled bathroom,16 Feb 2007 105,2,Installed refrigerator,1 Mar 2007 Does that make sense? (178 fields is another indication that your data probably needs to be normalized.) Now, the input mask error: this is often a date field. When you copy the record, you're copying the text as displayed. When you paste it, it's put through the input mask. Access does this for each field. It only gives you one error, however, corresponding to the first field for which there is a problem. Fix this problem, and you may see another error from another field. Example: A date input mask might require 6 numbers, and insert slashes so that the input looks like "12/31/06". If the display format is "dd-mmm-yyyy" then, when you copy and paste the record, access tries to put the text "31-Dec-2006" into the input mask, which fails. I hope that clears things up a bit. Good luck, Peter Hoogenboom --- In [email protected], "Bob Runyon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Peter, > > > > My answers in yellow > > > First, if you need to create identical records then your database > design almost certainly doesn't conform to basic principles of > normalization. If you want to improve that situation, many people > online will be eager to point you in the right direction. What do you mean > basic principals of normalization, are you saying I am not using the Db to > its best advantage? That well may be, this is the first time I have tried to > build one in Access. I had been using Works previously and it is much easier > to use but is not email compatible. > > Second, why can't you do it? Because you don't know how, or because > you're getting an error message? I get an error message that says the data > does not conform to the input mask for that field.but I am trying to copy > the entire record with 178 fields.why is it editing one field > > To select a record in datasheet view, you can click the record- selector > area, at the left side of the window, that corresponds to the record > you want to copy. I can do that > > To copy the record, you can use the edit menu. I did that and that works > > To paste the data into a new record, select the blank row at the bottom > of the datasheet (the "new record" row). This is where the error occurs > > Then paste the data, which you can also do with the edit menu. > > If you receive an error message, note the exact wording of the message, > and post it here for more help. > > Good luck, > > Peter Hoogenboom > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:ms_access%40yahoogroups.com> ps.com, > "CapitalLease" <Capitallease@> > wrote: > > > > I have a DB of customers some of whom I do business with multiple > times > > but for different reasons each time. I need to be able to copy the > > record, "cut and paste" the record, to create a new identical record. > > So far I am unable to do it. Any ideas? > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >
