Any experts of access in here

Ok here is the problem.

I have created a switchboard because i have made a database with all of the suppliers information and put them into groups depending on there type of business. This is going to be sent out over the entire company.

I am making a search engine consisting of a drop drop box so they can select a group and then underneath i want a optional text box so they can type in the town if need be.

Does anyone know if this can be done in the switch board. I am currently using Microsoft Access 2003

yes it can be done, drop box will be search key for first part of the query, and text box will be search term for second part of query.

how do you go about setting this up

i guess you know the basics of how to add a "run query" button to your form, and how to write a query that the button can run using both your criteria. the trick to using the drop box with a query is a simple matter of knowing how to get the user selected option in the drop box into a query.

all you need to do to get it is write Forms!formname!comboname

where forename is the name of the form with the dropbox and comboname is the name of the drop box you created.

similarly to get the info in the text box you use the same thing;
Forms!formname!txtboxname


if you dont know how to create a run query button (command button wizard- misc category) or write queries with multiple criteria, then you need to do a little bit of reading. i cant teach you all that in a single post.

personally i would have this particular query put the results in a subform inside the mainform. that way you can use the main form again and again for different searches easily.

Wow I forgot how stupid access is. I would have used an SQL database and used a PHP intranet webpage as a front end.

i'm an oracle monkey

VB/ASP here, and linked queries are an even bigger pain in the rear; at least you aren't trying to do it in Excel!

Got it working now?

Microsoft ridden filth.

i had to use access at school.

never again

i hated it... but easy marks...

I hate using access!!

Got i sort of working. couldn't be arsed to do all the vb because it is only for work. i manged to get more than 8 buttons per switchboard ( second attempt thank god for file restore).

thanks for the help thou