Access form shows numeric value rather than text

Simple problem I'm Sure!
I have a database where the user selects values from 4 fields (Manufacturer
model etc) to create a user defined field, this works fine. The user should
then be able to locate each of the user defined fields by a combo box (This
combo has vehicle registration numbers in it).
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/information-technology/10952-access-form-shows-numeric-value-rather.html
Unfortunately when the user defined fields are loaded into the form only the
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=10952
numeric value is shown (Manufacture model etc should be shown).
I realise this is because access is only storing the reference to the
original field. Question is how do I get it to display the Manufacturer,
model etc rather than just the number?
Thanks Ian

 
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Hi Ian,

If I understand correctly you have one table with one or more foreign
(numeric) keys that relate to other tables containing textual descriptions
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=10952
for Manufacturer, Model and so on. Your problem is that when you display the
first table's data all you see are the foreign keys (numbers) and not the
related textual data.

I suggest you edit the properties of the affected fields on your form and
find the property named Control Source. At present this will probably contain
the name of the column of your first table (the bound table) that contains
the foreign key (number). What you need to do is instruct Access to look up
the text description associated with this number.

I don't know your specification but what you need to enter as the Control
Source is something along the lines of

=DLookUp("Manufacturer_Description","Manufacturer_Table","Manufacturer_Id =
" & [Manufacturer_Id])

You need to substitute your own column and table names in the above.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=10952

One final recommendation: while you are changing the fields' properties
disable (Enabled = No) and lock (Locked = Yes) these fields to prevent the
user changing them and to prevent the cursor pausing in these fields.

Good luck.

Rod

"Accessidiot" wrote:

> Simple problem I'm Sure!
> I have a database where the user selects values from 4 fields (Manufacturer
> model etc) to create a user defined field, this works fine. The user should
> then be able to locate each of the user defined fields by a combo box (This
> combo has vehicle registration numbers in it).
> Unfortunately when the user defined fields are loaded into the form only the
> numeric value is shown (Manufacture model etc should be shown).
> I realise this is because access is only storing the reference to the
> original field. Question is how do I get it to display the Manufacturer,
> model etc rather than just the number?
> Thanks Ian

On Wed, 7 Jun 2006 0001 -0700, Accessidiot
wrote:

>Unfortunately when the user defined fields are loaded into the form only the
>numeric value is shown (Manufacture model etc should be shown).
>I realise this is because access is only storing the reference to the
>original field. Question is how do I get it to display the Manufacturer,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=10952
>model etc rather than just the number?
>Thanks Ian

The simplest way is to display the information using a Combo Box
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=10952
rather than a textbox on the form. The combo should be bound to the
numeric ID, but its first visible column should be the text. The combo
box wizard on the toolbox will set this up for you by default.

John W. Vinson[MVP]