Field size and format change

[jk]

I have a shared DB and i need to make changes the field size of one of my
controls.By changing the field in table design to go from 50 down to 10,
would that change affect future entries to limit what can be entered.I ask
this since i am using a shared DB and i do not want to cause any problems in
its current state.
Thanks,

 

[Tim Ferguson]

.By changing the field in table design to go from 50 down to 10,
would that change affect future entries to limit what can be entered.

Yes -- all entries would be limited to ten characters rather than fifty.
But I guess this is what you wanted? Note too that any values that are
longer than ten characters will be truncated.

Making such a big change to a field is pretty major surgery. I am wondering
what benefit you hope to achieve. If it's reducing memory or disk space
then it won't necessarily do much because eight chars in a text field takes
the same space whether the field is defined as ten or fifty wide.

All the best


Tim F

 

[John Vinson]

I have a shared DB and i need to make changes the field size of one of my
controls.By changing the field in table design to go from 50 down to 10,
would that change affect future entries to limit what can be entered.I ask
this since i am using a shared DB and i do not want to cause any problems in
its current state.
Thanks,

Of course it would affect future entries; if the size of the field is
10 characters, then you will not be able to enter any value larger
than that. Any existing values with more than 10 bytes will be
truncated, losing data.

Why do you feel that you need to do this? Access doesn't store
trailing blanks; a 50 byte field with "XYZ" in it takes up exactly the
same amount of disk as a 10 byte field with "XYZ".

John W. Vinson[MVP]
Join the online Access Chats
Tuesday 11am EDT - Thursday 3:30pm EDT
http://community.compuserve.com/msdevapps

 

[jk]

Thanks,

The problem is users are making errors by entering 12 or 13 numbers by
accident when the requirement for the field is ten digits.It was a begginers
mistake to have that field use a fifty character size.How do i force the
limit to ten?

 

[jk]

Hello John,

I just did a response to steve schapel since by reading his post, he
answered someone with same problem by using a validation rule of Between
10000000 And 99999999.....My real need though is for 9 digits..no more ..no
less so i have been playing with above to get a limit for nine digits but no
luck.....

 

[John Vinson]

I just did a response to steve schapel since by reading his post, he
answered someone with same problem by using a validation rule of Between
10000000 And 99999999.....My real need though is for 9 digits..no more ..no
less so i have been playing with above to get a limit for nine digits but no
luck.....

Use an Input Mask property of

000000000

This will force precisely what you are asking.

John W. Vinson[MVP]
Join the online Access Chats
Tuesday 11am EDT - Thursday 3:30pm EDT
http://community.compuserve.com/msdevapps