help with database

[AB]

Have I come to the right place? I would like to create a
database to help me track household chores and the dates
they were last performed, and then build expressions to
display what chores are coming due and what chores
have "expired" (meaning its been far too long since I've
cleaned the oven!)
...is this forum quite active and helpful, and am I in
the right forum to get started?
Thanks,
AB

 

[Peter van der Goes]

Have I come to the right place? I would like to create a
database to help me track household chores and the dates
they were last performed, and then build expressions to
display what chores are coming due and what chores
have "expired" (meaning its been far too long since I've
cleaned the oven!)
...is this forum quite active and helpful, and am I in
the right forum to get started?
Thanks,
AB

Assuming you plan the use Microsoft Access, this is a good place to get the
assistance you may need. To begin, you may find the following links useful:

http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx?assetid=FX01085791&CTT=6&Origin=ES790020011033

http://databases.about.com/cs/tutorials/index.htm?iam=dpile&terms=Microsoft+Access+2000

http://www.freeskills.com/ Search on "Access".

You'll also want to provide more details when asking questions in a
newsgroup, such as the version of Access you plan to use, and more
information about the data you intend to store.

From what you've said, I'm assuming that we have "task",a text field (say,
30 characters) and two date fields, a "date last completed" and a "date
due". If you have no further ambitions for your database, you can generate
the information you need using Access forms and reports to allow you to
update completion dates and generate due lists based on dates stored and
criteria you supply (such as "due date" within 7 days of today, for
example).

 

[AB]

Hi Peter,
Thanks for your quick response! I'm using Access 97, but
since I'm figuring my database will be relatively simple,
hopefully I won't run into any version discrepancies and
be able to keep it "generic".
... I think I'm pretty comfortable with tables. I'm kind
of stuck on Forms. I have discovered the =Date()
expression to be able to default today's date into a
control. I would like to know how to be able to
use "checkboxes" to be able to communicate to the database
that "these chores" (all checked) were completed on (date
control)

Example, I want a form that looks something like:

dd-mm-yy

vaccuum rug x
laundry x
wash dishes
polish silverware
change oil in car
clean toilet
mow lawn x
etc
etc

....where the "x"s are the checked boxes meaning "today I
vacuumed the rug, did the laundry and mowed the lawn".

I'm stuck because it seems as though where I'm going with
this is being able to update multiple records (since each
chore is a record) with a singular form, using
checkboxes. Any advice?

-----Original Message-----

Have I come to the right place? I would like to create a
database to help me track household chores and the dates
they were last performed, and then build expressions to
display what chores are coming due and what chores
have "expired" (meaning its been far too long since I've
cleaned the oven!)
...is this forum quite active and helpful, and am I in
the right forum to get started?
Thanks,
AB

Assuming you plan the use Microsoft Access, this is a good place to get the
assistance you may need. To begin, you may find the following links useful:

http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx? assetid=FX01085791&CTT=6&Origin=ES790020011033

http://databases.about.com/cs/tutorials/index.htm?

iam=dpile&terms=Microsoft+Access+2000

http://www.freeskills.com/ Search on "Access".

You'll also want to provide more details when asking questions in a
newsgroup, such as the version of Access you plan to use, and more
information about the data you intend to store.

From what you've said, I'm assuming that we have "task",a text field (say,
30 characters) and two date fields, a "date last completed" and a "date
due". If you have no further ambitions for your database, you can generate
the information you need using Access forms and reports to allow you to
update completion dates and generate due lists based on dates stored and
criteria you supply (such as "due date" within 7 days of today, for
example).

--
Peter [MVP Academic]



.

 

[Peter van der Goes]

Hi Peter,
Thanks for your quick response! I'm using Access 97, but
since I'm figuring my database will be relatively simple,
hopefully I won't run into any version discrepancies and
be able to keep it "generic".
... I think I'm pretty comfortable with tables. I'm kind
of stuck on Forms. I have discovered the =Date()
expression to be able to default today's date into a
control. I would like to know how to be able to
use "checkboxes" to be able to communicate to the database
that "these chores" (all checked) were completed on (date
control)

Example, I want a form that looks something like:

dd-mm-yy

vaccuum rug x
laundry x
wash dishes
polish silverware
change oil in car
clean toilet
mow lawn x
etc
etc

...where the "x"s are the checked boxes meaning "today I
vacuumed the rug, did the laundry and mowed the lawn".

I'm stuck because it seems as though where I'm going with
this is being able to update multiple records (since each
chore is a record) with a singular form, using
checkboxes. Any advice?

Here's some general advice. We'll hope some Access gurus jump in here as
your needs become more specific.
You can update multiple rows in a table based on some criterion by using a
SQL update query.
If you display data from each row in your table, including the completed
checkbox, you would then check off all completed tasks. Then the update
query would run (based on a button on your form, perhaps) to update the
completed date field and due date field in each row where your YesNo field
has been checked. FYI, Access stores -1 for yes and 0 for no in YesNo
fields.
Assuming that you have DueDate and CompleteDate fields defined in your
table, and an interval field to hold a value for the number of days before a
given task has to be reaccomplished, the Update query would look something
like this:

UPDATE Tasks SET Tasks.CompleteDate = Date(), Tasks.DueDate =
Date()+[Interval], Tasks.Completed = 0
WHERE (((Tasks.Completed)=-1));

My test table was named Tasks.
You can use Access to build the query for you using the Query Wizard. You
don't have to write the SQL yourself. I tested the query above with a simple
test form, and it worked correctly. The only thing remaining would be to add
necessary code to ensure the data displayed in the form is updated once the
query has run.
Unfortunately, I'm on Access 2003, and so cannot share my actual application
with you.

Peter [MVP Academic]