Report Design Question

I am developing a database (using Access 2003 in Access 2000 format) that is
used to schedule and track completion of compliance courses for our
employees. I have completed the forms for scheduling, editing scheduled
courses, and marking courses completed. I want to be able to report
unscheduled courses, scheduled but not completed courses, and completed
courese. I would also like to have the results be able to be sorted by 1 of
5 criteria:
1. Manager
2. Location
3. Department
4. Course Title
5. Hire Date
In addition, would it be possible to allow the user to specify search
critiera to limit results? I am a novice user with some experience in VBA
and SQL. I am just unsure the best way to go about designing this.

Derek

This newsgroup supports table and database design. Your question sounds
like a "reports" question.

Regards

Jeff Boyce
Microsoft Office/Access MVP

"DerekD" wrote in message
...
I am developing a database (using Access 2003 in Access 2000 format) that
is
used to schedule and track completion of compliance courses for our
employees. I have completed the forms for scheduling, editing scheduled
courses, and marking courses completed. I want to be able to report
unscheduled courses, scheduled but not completed courses, and completed
courese. I would also like to have the results be able to be sorted by 1
of
5 criteria:
1. Manager
2. Location
3. Department
4. Course Title
5. Hire Date
In addition, would it be possible to allow the user to specify search
critiera to limit results? I am a novice user with some experience in VBA
and SQL. I am just unsure the best way to go about designing this.

Derek,

The key to developing reports, is deciding before hand what you want your
output to look like. Simple stuff, like which fields do you want to
display, do you want the report in portrait or landscape, how do you want it
organized (which fields where).

I've been using Access for almost 15 years now, and I still tend to startout
using the wizard (after I've developed a query that will return all of the
records I'm looking for (so start there). Then let the wizard help you
design the layout of your form.

Normally, I would create 5 different reports for the 5 sort criteria you
have below, and you might actually consider Grouping by those rather than
sorting.

Yes, you can allow the user to specify search criteria for a report. I
generally create a single query which supports my report and returns all
possible records. I then create a report form which contains unbound
controls to present the user with various options (Manager, Location,
Department, Course, Hire Date, ...). Some of these might be combo boxes,
others might be multi-select list boxes. The last option might be which
report (see 1-5 sort options below). Finally, a Preview button is then used
to build a SQL critieria string and open the report.

HTH
Dale

"DerekD" wrote in message
...
I am developing a database (using Access 2003 in Access 2000 format) that
is
used to schedule and track completion of compliance courses for our
employees. I have completed the forms for scheduling, editing scheduled
courses, and marking courses completed. I want to be able to report
unscheduled courses, scheduled but not completed courses, and completed
courese. I would also like to have the results be able to be sorted by 1
of
5 criteria:
1. Manager
2. Location
3. Department
4. Course Title
5. Hire Date
In addition, would it be possible to allow the user to specify search
critiera to limit results? I am a novice user with some experience in VBA
and SQL. I am just unsure the best way to go about designing this.