I'm developing a Microsoft Access 2013 based information system. One of the client's demands was to simplify the data entry process by using combo box with available values.
For example, instead of entering agentID
the client asked to let the user choose agent name from the combo box, the same logic with other similar fields.
In brief:
I need to avoid as much as possible the need to enter the values ID and let to user choose them from the combo box.
Microsoft Access has a built-in lookup wizard that allows to user to bind the table field with specific field from another table, e.g. to link cityID
from tblVoyage
with tblCities
/cityID
by lookup wizard, and let user choose the city from the combo box and not by typing specific city ID into the field.
Everything looks great, but there one confusing moment. During DB course I learnt, that in order to build a database and work with it, we have to define relationships between the tables (1:1, 1:M, M:N), but if I do it I can't use lookup wizard, because I've already defined relationships between tables. And, as a result, the user has to type all IDs manually, instead of choose them from the combo box.
So, I want:
- To understand when exactly should I use Access lookup wizard and when define a relationship between the tables.
- How to correctly minimize the number of times when the user has to type the data instead of choose the wanted item from the combo box.