pretty bug in access 2003 sp3

[Alain Bourgeois]

If MS wants to correct this...

Go to Queries->New->Design view, do not add a table, change query type to
append query. The first table (alphabetically) of the database cannot be
chosen in the list, nor typed.

Regards,
Alain

PS: easy workaround: create an empty table named aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

 

[BruceM]

I was finally able to reproduce the situation. It never came up because it
never occurred to me to cancel the dialog for selecting a table unless I
intended to write a union query.

 

[ntc]

or just add the table first; before you redefine the the query as an append
query...

 

[Alain Bourgeois]

No, it doesn't work.

You can add a table as a select table, but you can never specify the first
db table as the one you want to add rows to (an append query).

Regards,
Alain

 

[BruceM]

1) Go to the Queries tab of the Property Sheet
2) Click New
3) Click Design View in the dialog
(in place of 2 & 3, click "Create query in design view")
4) Select a table from the Add Table dialog
5) Click Add
6) Repeat 4 & 5 as needed
7) Click Close
8) Click Query on the menu, and select Append

If you close the Add Table dialog without selecting a table, it is true that
if you then change the query to an Append or Update query you cannot select
or type the first table. However, if you select the table first (when you
first see the Add Table dialog) the problem you describe does not occur. I
suppose it is a bug of sorts, but one for which the workaround is simpler
than the method that produces the bug.

 

[Alain Bourgeois]

I am sorry, but on my computer (win xp sp3 uk - access 2003 sp3 uk), when I
am at stage 8, the first table doesn't appear in list, and if I type the
name, access refuses it.
My db is in access 2K format.

 

[BruceM]

If you have already selected the table at step 4, what are you selecting at
step 8?

 

[Alain Bourgeois]

The table I want to add rows to, not the table I want to select rows from.

 

[BruceM]

OK, now I follow you. As you first described it you were canceling the
initial dialog to add a table (Step 4 as I described it). I see now what
you mean. I discovered that I could in fact type the table name (the table
to which records are to be appended). It shows up in the query's SQL, and
the append works when the query is run. The destination table does not show
in the query design grid no matter which table is used.

This does indeed seem to be a bug. Unfortunately there seems to be no way
to report a bug. I thought there was a way, buried deep in the MS web site,
but I can't find it.

Best suggestion is to post again, describing *exactly* what steps to take to
reproduce the bug. It took until this message for me to understand you were
selecting a table from the first dialog, but were then unable to select the
first table for the destination table. Perhaps by reposting you may attract
the attention of an MVP or somebody who may have avenues not available to
others, but we are quite a ways down in this thread, so it may not attract
any attention here.