Form User Issue

[golfinray]

A silly question, but one I haven't been able to find here or on the web.
Why can't two users work in the same form at the same time on a split
database? I have some forms with 40 or 50 fields and one manager may need to
enter data into these 5 fields today and another manager a completely
different 5 fields. As long as they are not in the same fields, what
difference would it make? Is there a way to just lock the field the manager
is typing in at that moment? Like I say, silly question, but one I can't find
the answer to. Thanks so much!!!!

 

[Arvin Meyer MVP]

Assuming separate front-ends, one on each workstation, there is no reason
why 2 users cannot update records using the same form. What they CANNOT do
is update the same record, or page of records, since that would constitute a
sharing violation.

 

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Fri, 1 May 2009 06:51:02 -0700, golfinray

To answer your literal question: because databases do record locking,
not field locking. Big topic.

Practically, two users can be in the same form in the same record. The
RecordLocks property typically should be set to No Locks, which means
"whoever saves last, wins".
You can set this property to Edited Record, which means "only one user
can be editing a record at one time".
Still, whatever you choose, the ENTIRE record will be saved, not just
a few changed fields.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[golfinray]

By page of records, do you mean that if, say, I had a tabbed form, a user
could each work on a separate tab? All my forms are just one page. I could
separate them into tabs if necessary. BTW, all users have their own FE's.
Thanks so much!!!!
--
Milton Purdy
ACCESS
State of Arkansas

Assuming separate front-ends, one on each workstation, there is no reason
why 2 users cannot update records using the same form. What they CANNOT do
is update the same record, or page of records, since that would constitute a
sharing violation.

 

[Arvin Meyer MVP]

A page of records is not the same as a page in a form or report. Records are
stored in a page, which in Access used to be 2K of space (I think it's 4K
now). So if your records are 500 bytes of data, you can have 8 records on a
page. When Access locks a page for updating a record, all 8 records are
locked.

That's no problem at all when adding records because they will never be on
the same page, but it is possible to lock additional records when editing.
Normally, it's not an issue because it is rare the 2 users actually try to
edit contiguous records.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access
http://www.accessmvp.com

By page of records, do you mean that if, say, I had a tabbed form, a user
could each work on a separate tab? All my forms are just one page. I could
separate them into tabs if necessary. BTW, all users have their own FE's.
Thanks so much!!!!