Using "base" tables

[Emma]

I am working on an educational database where there
is "base" course information in a table. Another table
holds semester-specific information, which can either be
pulled from the base table or can be entered manually if
the course isn't in the base table. The semester-specific
form is actually a sub-form to another form which holds
corresponding course and semester information.

So, when you open the larger course semester form and
enter your specific info, I want the database to look and
see if there is a corresponding record already existing
in the semester-specific course table and display the
course. If there isn't, I want it to look in the base
table and if there's a match, to append the record from
the base table to the semester-specific course table and
display it in the subform. If no corresponding record
exists in the semester-specific course table or in the
base table, I want the subform opened for manual entry of
a record.

My question(s):

First, is there an easier way that I'm missing to
accomplish the same thing?

Second, can anyone give me some guidance as to how to
accomplish what I'm wanting? Is a macro my best solution
and if so, some guidance would be great.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jeff Boyce]

Emma

Actually, you don't need to "copy" base course information to your
semester-specific information table. Access is a relational database, and
in this, provides a simple mechanism.

You could have one table that holds your "base" course information (the
facts that are true about courses, no matter when given).

Then, you'd also have an "instance" table (?tblCourseOfferings) that holds
facts about a specific semester's instance of a course (e.g., designated
classroom, instructor, class-start-time, ...)

If your FORM needs information from both tables, join them in a query and
use that query as a source for your form.