Here's an easy one - but not for me

[Arlen]

I am making my first database ever.

It is simply to keep track of keys - who has what keys checked out.

You type in their Name and Room #, select their Department (further
questions about that one), then check which keys they've been given. There
will be perhaps 5 standard issue keys that all teachers get, then a Special
(list box?) where you type in keys specific to each teacher's room, filing
cabinets, etc... I am having issues.

Firstly, how do you make an option group that allows you to select any
number of options, plus a toggle to Select All/None? The option groups I've
created make everything inside behave like radio buttons, which will just not
do.

Secondly, I am using a radio button option group to select the Department
(which is fine). However, how do I get that to pass the value "English" to
the related Table, rather than Yes or No?.

Thanks for your help, whomever ye may be.

Arlen

 

[BruceM]

For your first database these are not necessarily simple questions. You
have not mentioned anything about tables or structure. You should probably
have tables for Teachers and Keys, at a minimum. There should probably be a
Deprtment table, too. Each teacher may have many keys. If it also holds
true that a key (such as the five standard keys) can be issued to many
teachers, you may need a third table (a junction table) to resolve the
relationship (depending on whether you want to look at the information in
terms of teachers to whom a key has been assigned (as well as keys assigned
to a teacher). In other words, do you want to look at a key and determine
to which teachers it has been assigned?.

For selecting several or all choices you would use a multi-select list box.
An option group has a single value. The question is "To what end"? What is
supposed to happen after you make the selection(s). To add "All" as a
choice, see:
http://www.mvps.org/access/forms/frm0043.htm
You could start here for some tips about using a multi-select list box:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-50.html
Check Help, or try a Google groups search for more information.

As far as passing the text value to a related table, there is no need.
Store the number, and use a query to display the name of the department as
needed. The Department table may be something like:

DeptID DeptName
1 English
2 History
3 Math

Store the DeptID in the related table, and add the Department table to the
record source query for the form or report.

Anopther option is to use the Choose function to display the department
name:
=Choose([DeptID],"English","History","Math")
Help has more information about Choose.

This is very general information, but that is because your question tends to
be quite general, and open to some interpretation.