where do i go from here

[Jim Wagner]

Hello all,
Access 2003
I am totally confused and need help.
I am buiding a database for a Hospital based on a form that they enter
information for Risks or injuries. The form has several sections that
deal with different topics. I have broken them out into tables and
built the form with the subforms all linked together based on a
IncidentID.
My problem is that several of the sections involve choosing check
boxes for the selections. On top of that there can be multiple check
boxes selected. I have developed several forms with subforms all
linked together but because I get to the 7 subform limit I crash the
database and now I have two forms that will not open.
Is there a way of getting all my forms to allow multiple selections
and linked subforms or is there another way of designing this.

Jim Wagner

[Access Guy]

When you say linked together on the IncidentId, do you mean each subform is on the parent form and linked to the parent form on the IncidentID or that you have subforms within subforms?

Having multiple checkboxes is not a problem as far as I know. I assume you mean the subform displays multiple records and each has a checkbox.

However, it sounds like you may be trying to get too much functionality on the one form. Consider breaking the functionality into a couple of well defined areas and build a more specific form for each. A common mistake is to cram a form with as much as possible.

I have seen a form that had sales orders, purchase orders, contacts and more all on one form.

Why do that?

I find that users just get confused.

In everything I build there is functionality for maintaining a contact list, separate for sales orders and separate for purchase orders. Users like clearly defined interfaces with simple almost step by step controls to lead them through what they have to do.

But all this does depends on what the customer wants and what the functionality you have to achieve demands.

[Access Guy]

>the first two forms that crashed, were based on all subforms linked
> to the incidentID on the parent form. what i mean about multiple
> checkboxes is that there are about 15 checkboxes on a subform but
> the user could select multiple checkboxes on the subform. this does
> not exist on 2003. triple state is on 2007.
> Jim

I still don't get what you mean about these checkboxes. You do mean checkboxes and not option buttons?

There is nothing to stop you having 15 checkboxes, each bound to a Boolean field, per record in a subform.

Triple state does exist in 2003, except if the controls are part of an option group.

Are the checkboxes part of an option group?

BTW, please reply here in the forum rather than use private messaging so other get the benefit if the discussion.

Thanks
Jeff

[Jim Wagner]

I will upload the images of the forms that you can see what I am looking at.

Jim Wagner

[Access Guy]

Ok. That's clearer.

I can see from the form you have both checkboxes (square boxes where they can check all that apply) and option buttons (round ones where they only select one).

The option buttons will be just one field in you table holding a number that corresponds to the option selected.

Each check box will be a separate boolean field in your table.

Because of the number of checkboxes you may run into some limits so you may have to separate some field into one or more tables (though 7 seems unnecessary) and link on the IncidentId on a one-to-one relationship as you seem to be indicating you have done.

When it comes to your interface, you only need subforms for the other related tables. You can organise the field into nice visual groups on your form.

Just because the form divides groups of check boxes up doesn't mean you have to do that in tables. No reason why fields for a few sections can't exist in one related table. On the form you can layout it out so they are nicely grouped, but the data structure doesn't have to reflect that.

This will remove the subform limit if that is what you have struck.

Hope this helps.

[Mark]

You could also do this by using a wizard format and walking them through the different sections thereby eleminating any subforms.