Looking For Advice About Using Access As A Document Retrieval Tool
Mar 1, 2006
Our organization (a University) has been engaged in becoming "paperless."
As part of that initiative, we have spent the past several months scanning several hundred thousand pages of documents relating to building systems (HVAC, e.g.) as well a a massive quantity of detailed lead and asbestos surveys and abatement records.
The initiative is indeed reducing the quanity of paper stored in binders and file cabinets, however now it is becomming evident that retrieving some of that information is a real problem for some folks.
At a meeting this morning a question arose about whether we could develop an Access application to retrieve the documents (which are very logically filed on a network share, but it seems to be beyond the compreshension of some staff how to actually navigate through the maze).
My question is this: has anyone in this forum ever tried to implement such a solution with Access?
Any advice or insight would be very much appreciated.
I am wondering if there is somekind of tool that can be used in access that can run and locate any queries that are redundant and not used within a system. Also if there is any kind of tool that can be run that identifies fields that are in tables that are also not used in the application!
Not sure if such software exists but thought id ask before i manually begin to go through the application, this is all done to be done before normalisation of the application data and upgrade of the system
I have a research project. I need to capture numerical values from a scroll bar into a table so they can be used to produce excel charts. I can capture the data no problem, my problem is how to present it in a user friendly format - a form.
I have to capture the following data via a form for each research respondent: Name Age Sex Occupation
Each respondent is then asked to rank five brands against seven different attributes. In format terms, my researcher wants to display one attribute at the top of a page with five brands listed underneath with the slider beside each brand. For example:
"The Worst IT Information" is the attribute at the page top "Microsoft" is the brand, with a slider beside it so the resondent can select how much they associate/rank this attribute with Microsoft. "Adobe" is the second brand with slider "PaintShop Pro" is the third brand with slider "Corel" is the fourth brand with slider "Sage" is the fifth brand with slider
The same respondent then clicks to the next page which has a new attribute at the top, but with the same five brands underneath to rank the attribute against.
eg "full of bugs" is the attribute at the page top brands and sliders are all as above
There are seven pages in all. At the end of the data collection I need to be able to find the average ranking for each brand against each attribute and apply the demographic information, for example
Microsoft had an average ranking of 7 out of 10 against the attribute "Worst IT INformation" against women 30Plus.
I can't figure out how to do this without collecting the information into tables called PageOne, PageTwo, PageThree, PageFour, PageFive, PageSix, Page Seven and using fields like: brand 1 (text), brand 1 (value), brand 2, (text) brand 2, (value). This seems to fly in the face of how you would normally create a table and will require queries to add together all the values gathered using different fields.
Does anyone have any suggestions on where I might be going wrong?
Hi guys. I want create a tool bar menue in access 2000 that is linked to indvidule forms in my access but i do not know how i to do it. Just like internet explorer tool bar menue that has file edit view ... and u can click and a drop down list comes and u can select one and ....
I want make such menue in access that each drop down list item from menue is linked to form and once it is selected that a perticuler form loads. I be happy if some one show me how to make such tool bar menue.(i want it the menue loads once i click on the mdb file).Thanks
Have you guys ever used this scheduling tool from FMS Software that will do a nightly archive and compact/repair.
I tried it out on our live database (not so smart I guess) on a Friday and when I came in Monay it was corrupted. It seems to point to the FMS software corrupting my db.
I wanted to validate and use this software but ain't sure it I will now.
I like the nightly compact/repair. Is there another way to do that with Windows Scheduling or something?
i have to create one Master Data transformation tool use Microsoft access. The input file and output file of this tool are excel spreadsheet. There are 2 levels of the data transformation, first level is data mapping and validation on the raw data, second level is data update on the field value.
My question can someone show me step by step how to build this tools using access and read from excell.
Using Access 2010.I purposely disabled the Access Objects to open when the database opens of fear of someone messing with my data. This works. The problem I'm having is when I use the print button (access macro) on one of my forms, as soon as i click the button, the "all access objects" window opens on the left side navigation.Is there a setting that will permanately stop this from opening?
How many records does MS Access 2003 hold, i.e. is there a limitation & what is it?The toolbox greys out after being selected on the Menu options even though Tools/Startup/allow built-in toolbars is selected - how to activate the toolbox in 2003 version?
I have created an MS Access 2000 solution for a company that utilises replication and remote synchronization. The company have about 12 people working out in the field (on laptops) who use replicas of the database (held on the company's server). The solution has become quite unstable and the amount of database conflicts is growing daily.
Could anyone suggest a more robust solution for the senario described? Would MySQL or MSDE be a more stable option? Is there anything I can do to make the MS Access solution work?!!
I am creating and using an access front end with a SQL server back end (which I manage thru access project), and I am wondering if I am losing my way.
I have some heavy tables which hold upwards of 60,000+ records. Before when I held it all on access, the database would swell up to 200 mb+ and used to grind to a near halt, now with the tables on SQL, it is much quicker, and no corruption problems so far. Also using SQL, I am forced to a better table structure.
I have linked the SQL tables thru to the access front end no problem and have queries running of the them, I find I can do more with access queries as they seem easier to construct and fault diagnose. This is especially true when using the ‘choose’ function. However, I am not sure if this is correct or intended way.
Therefore, in a good access front end, SQL server back end set up, should I
1) Where possible, put all updates, append, and delete queries as project stored procedures and pass them thru to the access FE
2)rather than link the tables from SQL to the access FE, and then make access FE queries to feed the forms, as I currently do, make the query views in project, and link them to access FE, and then make queries off these to the forms.
3) i note comments about using a WHERE function, should this be in SQL if possible
Ultimately, my thinking is that if I can make the project / SQL do as much as possible, it will be easier (for somebody else with better knowledge) to migrate the front end to another platform such as ‘asp’, if required.
Pardon my lay mans language, I need a course or a good book
I am building an application where the database is created from a large flat file. As a part of the process I need to build 10 temporary tables using VBA recordsets. I have designed the necessary algorithm and have tried simplified model that appears to be working with two tables. Before I go any further I would appreciate if someone could enlighten me in regard to Access 2003 constraints and limitations. The data (text) files are likely to have more than a million rows each, and each temporary table in the database will have more than 10 fields. It appears that using the processed data to populate the appropriate tables (with one “pass” through the file) simultaneously will be most efficient. In the past similar application was build using Access 2000 and the developer had to (or so I have been led to believe) use extraordinary number of macros and queries with numerous passes through the source file. My question is: If the code works with a small file and reduced number of variables and recordsets, shouldn’t the “full size” version of the same code work accordingly?
Hi, im currently working on a database which is for someone else. Whe it is handed over to them, they will no doubt want some changes done every so oftern eg new reports, changes to forms etc.
What is the best way to do this? The database holds a lot of data, so I dont think its feasible for them to send it to me via email everytime they need something changed!
Ive noticed a few posts here about splitting the database into a front/back end. If this was done, would they just have to send me the front end; this would probably be a smaller file ye?
If this is going to be the best way round the problem; how easy is it to split a database which is basically already made?
Hi, im currently working on a database which is for someone else. Whe it is handed over to them, they will no doubt want some changes done every so oftern eg new reports, changes to forms etc.
What is the best way to do this? The database holds a lot of data, so I dont think its feasible for them to send it to me via email everytime they need something changed!
Ive noticed a few posts here about splitting the database into a front/back end. If this was done, would they just have to send me the front end; this would probably be a smaller file ye?
If this is going to be the best way round the problem; how easy is it to split a database which is basically already made?
I am creating a database for someone which includes a mail merged document with some data from the database. Is it possible to allow the user to open the document by clicking on a button that will be on the Switchboard in the database, so that they do not have manually open the document? Hope this makes sense!
When I click a button, I am creating a table for a mailmerge and then calling the document that merge is in so I can write letters.
Everything works properly except the line for calling a document. I've messed with it in several ways but right now it tells me I need an equal sign. Can someone who actually knows VB (I'm just pretending! ) look at this and tell me what might be wrong?
Shell("C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice10WINWORD.EXE", "\documentsOfficesJudicial & Court ServicesJudicial CollegeShared Project FoldersTemplatesLetters & AccessoriesConf Letter Mail Merge.doc")
I have a problem with the way my forms are opening.The problem is with the document tabs, not the in form tabs.Basically the database will open the login screen (Modal & Popup) on load, after a successful login the user is redirected to a diary events page and the login form closes, then a user can select an ID (hyperlinked) which will open up a popup/modal form for more details and then if they want they can click a button within the popup which will view all client details.
I use VBA to close any popup/modal forms and open the Main Client Screen, at this point there are only 2 forms open in Single Form format, which is the diary events page and main client screen.The problem is once you click "view client" and the form opens, it defaults to the diary events tab, so the client screen is opening behind the diary events form, you then have to click the document tab for "client screen" to be able to view the form, which is a minor issue but annoying still.
This PDF document is attached to an MS Outlook e-mail and sent without any intervention from the user. This is accomplished using further VBA code. This code is working at the moment sending both Excel spread sheets and PDF documents but the PDF's require the page formatting before sending. I want to be able to accomplish this without having to open another application such as Adobe Acrobat.
Hi, I'm currently putting together a database for a medical NGO in Cambodia (http://www.medicorps.com/updates/cambodia.html) and am looking for some advice. The simple database is for logging client referral cases by Cambodian doctors to a team of international doctors. I haven't used access in 10 months and despite programming in access for 5 years progress is very slow. At the moment I'm designing the input and search forms. I was thinking that a more logical approach would be to convert the forms to access data pages and put the database online. I haven't used data access pages but from what i know their fairly limited? The goal would be the ability to log/search the data with auto updated pull downlist based on the actual data. Ultimately I want the data compiled and emailed to a email list from withing the website. The trouble is I have no idea how to do it.
Not sure if anyone can help but I have an issue I would love to sort out.
Each week I load several excel spreadsheets into an access database (one table) in order that I can check for duplicates across previous weeks and that week (with in excess of 20,000 records on each excel sheet). I created a find duplicate query to identify the records so I can use it to obtain credits. Unfortuantely I am not in control of the data coming to me (or else I would prevent duplicates at source)
Im not sure if this is the best way to try and do this or not. Any comments are greatly appreciated.
Apologies ... but I am quite new to Access. My database contains about 1000 peoples' addresses.
The problem I have is that I need to merge, say, 20 of these addresses into a word document. In the word document I can select records using the "Surname" field but it will not give me the option to select more than 6. I am sure there must be a way that I can select more than 6: I have tried separating the surnames with a "," or "or" but nothing seems to work!
