how to handle meter readings

ok - this isnt working

i dont want them to be able to input the meter number - i need them to be
able to pick that from a combo box - although that might be a pain because
there will be hundreds ...(hmmm not so good) - maybe i need them to be able
to select by property first then have a combo for meter numbers to cut down
the list

why do i have to have a sub form? why cant i have a qry based on the two
tables and have a single input form?

if these are dumb questions feel free to virtually slap me
--
deb


"BruceM via AccessMonster.com" wrote:

You absolutely should not have a field for each month. Starting with the
simple example of one reading per month, you need a Meter table and a related
Readings table:

tblMeter
MeterID (primary key, or PK)
MeterLocation
SerialNumber or whatever other fields are needed to describe the meter

tblReading
ReadingID (PK)
MeterID
ReadingDate
Reading

Using autonumber for the PK fields should work. I would guess that anything
else would be subject to change if the meter is replaced, and things of that
sort. If MeterID in tblMeter is autonumber (as determined in table design
view), MeterID in tblReading must by Number (Long Integer). Even if a meter
is identified by a code number or some such thing, I still suspect that
number could change, so I would stay with Autonumber or other unchanging PK,
and add a field for the ID number that is exposed to the user.

Click Tools Relationships. Add both tables. Drag MeterID from one table
to another. Click Enforce Referential Integrity when prompted.

Make a form (frmMeter) based on tblMeter (that is, add the fields in which
users record data about the meter initially. If MeterID is autonumber you
probably should not use it on the form). Make another form (frmReading)
based on tblReading. Set the Default View of frmReading to Continuous.

With frmMeter open in desgn view, add a subform control from the toolbox.
Set its Source Object to frmReading, and its Link Child and Link Master
fields to MeterID.

Switch to Form view for frmMeter. Add meter information to the main form,
and reading information to the subform, one line (record) per reading.

As for off-peak, etc., I don't know how you go about recording that data. If
the meter reader obtains that information from the meter itself it should be
simply a matter of adding fields to tblReading, and text boxes to frmReading
for those fields.

I don't know if or how account information enters into this, or if you can
have more than one meter per location. In any case, if Location is an
address you will need extra fields in tblMeter for each component of the
address (number, street, city, etc.).

If a location is an address, and an address can have several meters, you will
need a Location table at the top of the hierarchy. In that case tblMeter
will be related to tblLocation as tblReading is related to tblMeter in the
scenario described here.

If as I suspect you are unfamiliar with relational database design principles,
you would do well to become familiar with the concepts. Here are some links
John Vinson often provides. IMHO Crystal's tutorial is a good place to start.


Jeff Conrad's resources page:
http://www.accessmvp.com/JConrad/acc...resources.html

The Access Web resources page:
http://www.mvps.org/access/resources/index.html

Roger Carlson's tutorials, samples and tips:
http://www.rogersaccesslibrary.com/

A free tutorial written by Crystal:
http://allenbrowne.com/casu-22.html

A video how-to series by Crystal:
http://www.YouTube.com/user/LearnAccessByCrystal

MVP Allen Browne's tutorials:
http://allenbrowne.com/links.html#Tutorials


deb wrote:
dammit now i've been told i have to have peak, offpeak and total for the
meter readings for each meter

how do i do this without creating a separate tbl for each meter?
i have to create a table that will import meter readings

[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]

am i being too simple?

--
Message posted via http://www.accessmonster.com

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