Field and Datasheet Names are Different. Why?

Hello:

I'm used to working in an excellent database program called Alpha Five where
changing a name of the field in table design shows up correctly everywhere,
including forms and reports. I have to use Access 2003 on my job and I'm
perplexed by some of the behavior I've seen.

For example, I imported tables from another Access DB and then changed the
names of some fields. However, when I clicked on the tables and the Datasheet
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/information-technology/13776-field-and-datasheet-names-different-why.html
view came up, it displayed the old names that were changed and no longer
exist.

I don't understand this behavior. If I go into table design and change the
name of fields, why aren't those changes reflected everywhere? At the very
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
least, the correct field name should be displayed in a datasheet. This
behavior is extremely confusing, especially to users who weren't privy to the
design process.

I've noticed some other strange behavior when editing code behind buttons,
but I'll save that question for a later time.

Thanks,
RT

 
Do share your immediate thoughts or reactions on this issue? We value your views! Login Now! or Sign Up Today! to share your views with us.. Gurfateh!

Hi Robert

You have changed the control source but not the name of the field - the
column title on your datsheet. If you alte the control source the name is
retained. But if you delete the field and then re-insert it, it will have
your new control source as the name by default - unless you alter it.
--
Wayne
Manchester, England.



"Robert T" wrote:

> Hello:
>
> I'm used to working in an excellent database program called Alpha Five where
> changing a name of the field in table design shows up correctly everywhere,
> including forms and reports. I have to use Access 2003 on my job and I'm
> perplexed by some of the behavior I've seen.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
>
> For example, I imported tables from another Access DB and then changed the
> names of some fields. However, when I clicked on the tables and the Datasheet
> view came up, it displayed the old names that were changed and no longer
> exist.
>
> I don't understand this behavior. If I go into table design and change the
> name of fields, why aren't those changes reflected everywhere? At the very
> least, the correct field name should be displayed in a datasheet. This
> behavior is extremely confusing, especially to users who weren't privy to the
> design process.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
>
> I've noticed some other strange behavior when editing code behind buttons,
> but I'll save that question for a later time.
>
> Thanks,
> RT

Hello Wayne:

Thanks for the prompt response. I returned to table design, deleted the
fields where the names were incorrectly displayed, saved the table design,
reopened table design and added the fields back to the table with the new and
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
updated names. That worked, so my problem was solved.

However, I still don't understand why the Datasheet, which isn't a form or a
report, was reflecting the old field name when it no longer existed.

Thanks,
Robert

"Robert T" wrote in message
news:6E47C4CC-1DC7-4D16-8019-2F6426A35825@microsoft.com
> Hello:
>
> I'm used to working in an excellent database program called Alpha
> Five where changing a name of the field in table design shows up
> correctly everywhere, including forms and reports. I have to use
> Access 2003 on my job and I'm perplexed by some of the behavior I've
> seen.
>
> For example, I imported tables from another Access DB and then
> changed the names of some fields. However, when I clicked on the
> tables and the Datasheet view came up, it displayed the old names
> that were changed and no longer exist.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
>
> I don't understand this behavior. If I go into table design and
> change the name of fields, why aren't those changes reflected
> everywhere? At the very least, the correct field name should be
> displayed in a datasheet. This behavior is extremely confusing,
> especially to users who weren't privy to the design process.

I suspect that the fields' Caption properties had been set. In
datasheet view of a table, the column header is taken from the Caption
property of the field, if that has been set; if there's no Caption
property, then the name of the field is used.

--
Dirk Goldgar, MS Access MVP
www.datagnostics.com
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776

(please reply to the newsgroup)

Hi Dirk:

Thanks for the feedback, however, I couldn't find a property sheet for a
Datasheet view where I could change the caption. Where and how can I find
that?

Robert

"Dirk Goldgar" wrote:

> "Robert T" wrote in message
> news:6E47C4CC-1DC7-4D16-8019-2F6426A35825@microsoft.com
> > Hello:
> >
> > I'm used to working in an excellent database program called Alpha
> > Five where changing a name of the field in table design shows up
> > correctly everywhere, including forms and reports. I have to use
> > Access 2003 on my job and I'm perplexed by some of the behavior I've
> > seen.
> >
> > For example, I imported tables from another Access DB and then
> > changed the names of some fields. However, when I clicked on the
> > tables and the Datasheet view came up, it displayed the old names
> > that were changed and no longer exist.
> >
> > I don't understand this behavior. If I go into table design and
> > change the name of fields, why aren't those changes reflected
> > everywhere? At the very least, the correct field name should be
> > displayed in a datasheet. This behavior is extremely confusing,
> > especially to users who weren't privy to the design process.
>
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
> I suspect that the fields' Caption properties had been set. In
> datasheet view of a table, the column header is taken from the Caption
> property of the field, if that has been set; if there's no Caption
> property, then the name of the field is used.
>
> --
> Dirk Goldgar, MS Access MVP
> www.datagnostics.com
>
> (please reply to the newsgroup)
>
>
>

"Robert T" wrote in message
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
news:549F66F3-4C83-4233-8B7C-A14BFFF98652@microsoft.com
> Hi Dirk:
>
> Thanks for the feedback, however, I couldn't find a property sheet
> for a Datasheet view where I could change the caption. Where and how
> can I find that?

The Caption property of each field is set in the design view of the
table. Open the table in design view, click on each of the renamed
fields in turn, and check the Caption property in the property sheet in
the lower pane. I'm only guessing that this is the problem, of course,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
but your description makes it sound likely.

Note that this is different from the datasheet view of a form. But you
said the problem was evident when you open the table directly in
datasheet view.

--
Dirk Goldgar, MS Access MVP
www.datagnostics.com

(please reply to the newsgroup)

Hi Dirk:

That made a lot of sense to me, thanks for the explanation. However, when I
went back and checked there was nothing in the Caption box when examined
during a table redesign. Plus it's a little late, I deleted the fields with
the problems, saved the table, and then added back the fields we needed.

Robert

"Dirk Goldgar" wrote:

> "Robert T" wrote in message
> news:549F66F3-4C83-4233-8B7C-A14BFFF98652@microsoft.com
> > Hi Dirk:
> >
> > Thanks for the feedback, however, I couldn't find a property sheet
> > for a Datasheet view where I could change the caption. Where and how
> > can I find that?
>
> The Caption property of each field is set in the design view of the
> table. Open the table in design view, click on each of the renamed
> fields in turn, and check the Caption property in the property sheet in
> the lower pane. I'm only guessing that this is the problem, of course,
> but your description makes it sound likely.
>
> Note that this is different from the datasheet view of a form. But you
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
> said the problem was evident when you open the table directly in
> datasheet view.
>
> --
> Dirk Goldgar, MS Access MVP
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
> www.datagnostics.com
>
> (please reply to the newsgroup)
>
>
>

"Robert T" wrote in message
news4D77E7C-2CD6-4A58-98D4-B6E1DBC285BF@microsoft.com
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
> Hi Dirk:
>
> That made a lot of sense to me, thanks for the explanation. However,
> when I went back and checked there was nothing in the Caption box
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=13776
> when examined during a table redesign. Plus it's a little late, I
> deleted the fields with the problems, saved the table, and then added
> back the fields we needed.

Hmm, odd. It seemed so likely, too! I don't suppose you want to send
me a copy of the original database that was behaving badly, so I can try
to figure out what was going on? If you do, you can get my real e-mail
address by removing NO SPAM from the reply-address of this message.

--
Dirk Goldgar, MS Access MVP
www.datagnostics.com

(please reply to the newsgroup)