Tim Ferguson wrote:
A validation rule _is_ a check constraint: the Access UI coverts a VR
straight into a db rule.
it's only a UI limitation.

Sincere thanks for this. I had not picked up on this because the Jet
4.0 OLE DB provider exposes the CONSTRAINT_NAME property in the
CHECK_CONSTRAINTS rowset as '[column].ValidationRule' whereas the
corresponding property in the TABLE_CONSTRAINTS rowset is exposed as
'[table].[column].ValidationRule'. Silly me for thinking a
constraint's name would be consistently used g.

There really
is little chance of "IN ('M', 'F')" ever having to be changed in our
lifetimes; but then again medical and surgical databases have to be
able
to handle Unknown, insensitive suggested values snipped

If you had googled ISO sex codes you would have found 0=not known,
1=male, 2=female, 9=not specified. I wonder how many IN ('M','F')
Validation rules (or even IsMale YESNO columns g) have had to be
changed when overnight Jean Dupont = male suddenly becomes the Trustees
of the Estate of Jean Dupont Deceased = lawful entity?

Jamie.

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