Using the Table Column Description

Question

RE: Access 2003

I reference columns in a single table across several forms.  Is there a way that I can use the column Description from the table?  Here is what I would like to do:  Once I enter info in the Description about a column (via Table design), that description would  show up by default as the field title when I drag it from the fieldlist to a form (or possibly a report).  This would ensure that the description where FieldXYZ is referenced (no matter where), all descriptions are the same.

Thanks.

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RLN

Answer 1

RE: Access 2003

I reference columns in a single table across several forms.  Is there a way that I can use the column Description from the table?  Here is what I would like to do:  Once I enter info in the Description about a column (via Table design), that description would  show up by default as the field title when I drag it from the fieldlist to a form (or possibly a report).  This would ensure that the description where FieldXYZ is referenced (no matter where), all descriptions are the same.

That's really what the Caption property is for.  However, the field description you enter in table design view is automatically used as the Status Bar Text property on the form, if you add the field from the field list.

You could probably rig a form so that, on open, it looked up the Description property of all the fields to which it has bound controls, and then modify their captions.  However, it would make more sense to use the Caption property as intended, and if you change the Caption property, run a procedure that runs through all your forms & reports and looks for places where the label captions may need to be changed.

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Dirk Goldgar, MS Access MVP
Access tips: www.datagnostics.com/tips.html

Answer 2

Use the column's Caption property.  It will do exactly what you have in mind.

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Ken Sheridan, Stafford, England

Answer 3

Sorry for the late reply, as I was out of town for 5 days.

I have a field in tblContracts called     c1FullContractNum.

The description in that column in the table is, "Full Contract Number".

When I drag c1FullContractNum from the field list to the form, "c1FullContractNum" is the caption on the label next to the field, not "Full Contract Number".

I know there is something else I have missed but not sure what that something is.  Is there another setting I need to change somewhere in the table properties?

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RLN

Answer 4

To support the answer given by Dirk and Ken, the Caption property they refer to, you can find in tab General when clicking on a Field.

A picture say sometimes more then 'thousand words', see below picture:

Then when dragging your field c1FullContractNum to your Form, the Label will show the Caption as entered in your Caption property when in Table Design.

Hope this helps,

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Daniel van den Berg | Washington, USA | "Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy"

Answer 5

danishani,  Thanks.   I was trying to use  get the "Description" area (Next to the Data type column)

I had the right idea, just using the wrong item.

It worked fine.  Thank you for clarifying with the screenshot.  Very helpful!

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RLN