access

1. MS Access How To:
Look up and select
values
Unit 18 Database Design
Extended Diploma in ICT

2. Link tables
• A link table will have foreign keys
• To create a record you want to select a value
from another table and put the key value in
the link table
• You do this using list boxes

3. Example
• You want to select a customer, then a
costume and put the key values for those
selections into the rental table

4. Create a form
• Make a form for the link table
• Add the foreign key IDs

5. Add a list box
• Click on the List Box control and drag out a
list box
• The List Box Wizard starts
List box
control

6. List box wizard
• Choose the list box to look up the values in a
table or query

7. List box wizard
• Select the table you will look up

8. List box wizard
• Choose the fields that will appear in the list
box
• Pick the primary key first

9. List box wizard
• Choose any sorting that you want

10. List box wizard
• You are shown a preview

11. • You now choose to save the primary key
value from the list box in the foreign key field
on the form

12. List box wizard
• Type a label for the list box

13. List box wizard
• The wizard closes and the list box allows you
to select a customer and put the ID in the
correct field

14. Adding a subform to show
more detail
• There are more customer details you may
want to show, such as the address.
• You can use a subform for this
• Click on the subform control and draw out a
subform
Subform
control

15. Subform
• The subform wizard opens
• Choose to use an existing table or query

16. Subform
• Select the right table and the fields you want
to show
• You must include the key

17. Subform
• Choose from the list and the subform will
show the values from the table associated
with the primary key in the link table

18. Subform
• Give the subform a sensible name

19. Subform
• The subfom is created (and looks awful)

20. Subform appearance
• We need to improve its appearance

21. Subform property sheet
• Set
• Default view to Single Form
• Record selectors to No
• Navigation buttons to No
• Scroll bars to Neither
• Delete the label

22. Subform appearance

23. Subform update
• The subform updates when you use the
record selectors, but not when you use the
list box
• Fix this using some VBA (Visual Basic for
Applications)

24. Subform update
• Select the list box
• Then click on the three dots in the After
Update property
List box
selected
Three dots

25. VBA
• A dialogue box opens and you choose Code
Builder

26. VBA
• The VBA code window opens
Space for
your code
Form this
event
applies to
Event this
code
applies to

27. VBA
• We want the subform to update after we have
clicked to select a customer.
Refresh the
main formRequery
the sub
form

28. End result
• The data will now match the selection in the
list box