Re: Membership database updates

Phew, you outlasted me Pennington.
Update and Append queries:
When you open any Query in Design View, click on the toolbar just next to
the Query Type button (it looks like 2 rectangles in 'cascade' view and says
Query type on the Tooltip when you hover the cursor over it). There is a
black down-arrow where you can change your query to an Append or Update
query (plus a few useful others). If you don't see those choices, click the
double arrow at the bottom of your list to see the full list.
No need to learn Sql to create them.
I'm guessing that if you look at this fresh in the morning you will kick
yourself copiously for not having thought of it but having been 'raised' on
Win95 I too frequently forget about the darn double arrow.
This list will give you the choice of an Update or Append Query.
I thought you were already using an Append to put your imported Excel data
into your Access table otherwise I would have said so but now I see what is
happening. You are importing your Excel table, naming that as your current
table and renaming your old one.
No more, Pennington, no more! You will lose all your Default Values and
clever stuff if you do that.

To Append your data (ONLY once you have edited your Current table to get rid
of Ex members by updating the DateRemoved column with an update query)
Click on your Imported table while it is closed.

Go to Insert, choose query, choose Design View. Drag all the fields of your
imported table into the query grid. Use your Query Type button to change the
query to an Append and choose to append to your Current Table.
In the Append To row of the query, choose the fields to which you want to
add each column of data. Click the red Exclamation Mark to run the query.You
will be warned that you are adding x rows to your table. When you click Yes,
it will add. If you have any current members in your Import list, they won't
append and you will get a confusing message saying that Access didn't add x
rows because of Key violation. If you try to append your member's name to
your date field or something like that, then you will get the message that x
rows (all of them) weren't added because of Data Type violations.

I recommend that if you aren't used to using them that you make a copy of
your database (copy and paste in Windows Explorer) and practice updates and
appends there until you get used to them.
Evi






"Pennington" <Pennington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:791BCDB8-375F-4D96-AB7A-1B03BEEDCBB6@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Many thanks, its a lot to take in and its getting late over here. Just a
few
more details befiore I sign off for the day.

As I have a DateJoined field I don't need to know when someone left then
came back becuase if the re-applied they will have a different joining
date.

You mention Update Queries and Append Queries but I can't find how to
write
these. I am using Access 2000 and the Help does mention Design View having
an
arrow next to Query Type but I don't see this. I also don't seem to be
able
to reveal it on the toolbar either. When I click New Queries, Update
Query,
Append Query are not among the choices given. Can you help?

In case you are still wondering why I have different tables, I explained
that in the previous post. The list I receive from HQ is as Excel file so
I
have to import it don't I?

Many thanks for your indulgence - I weill be back on-line in 8hrs or so.

"Evi" wrote:

To supply a missing field, in the Append query add a column into which
you
can type

MemberRemoved:True
(if Member Removed is a tick field which you want to set to Ticked)
or (for example)
MemberRemoved:27/04/07
if it's a date field and you want to put the date when they were removed
(a
better idea than a tick field). If you haven't been given an actual date
then you can use the date when you received your new list or the Date
indicated by the table name in your Append Query if you are appending
past
records.

That will add your data from your old tables.

When you get your new data, you will use your Find Unmatched query to
see
who isn't there, add your MemberRemoved field from your main table to
the
grid, check you have the correct data, change the query to an
UpdateQuery,
untick the fields you don't want to update but keep them in the query
grid
if they are filtering something and put the date you desire in the
Update
To line

Dates have to be surrounded by # and have the format month slash day
slash
year in full
eg
#07/25/2008#

Having done that, you can now append your new members. Because your
MemberRemoved field is left blank, you don't need to do anything about
that.

As you correctly say, you can now use filtered queries to show old and
new
members.

There is only one thing you may need to consider which will make the
whole
thing more tricky. (but still do-able). I'm still wondering what the
thinking was behind having the different tables in the first place.

Do you have to keep a record of when members were removed and re-added?
If
yes then we will need to change the structure of your database. As it is
currently, if a member was removed in 1997 and re-added this year but
then
removed, you will have no way of knowing that he was a member in 1996.

Of course, if this doesn't matter, then all is well but if it is
necessary
then you will need to add another table to your database where a member
is
added and removed more than once so that you can see each time he was in
the
club. (Yes, Old Howard has been with us for 35 years now - although he
only
actually paid for 2 of those years!)

You will still need your members table, which will contain each member
only
once and will have the date he originally joined the club but the
members
Table will be added to this second table by MemberNumber field.
The new table could have an Autonumber Primary Key field. It will have
MemberNumber and your Members table will be linked to it via this.

.. So all members will be appended when they first subscribe but if they
lapse and are suspended, the date of their suspension will be recorded
in
this new table and if they are re-instated they will be added again with
the
new date of their re-instatement

Just something to ruin your sleep....

Any comments on this, Fred? You are the membership db expert. I'm
assuming
that poor Pennington won't be able to insist on the updates that will
make
his job easier. He may even be knocking his head against my pet hate
'We've
always done it this way!'
Evi



"Pennington" <Pennington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:F744DDDF-E1F9-487D-8CD2-87C2E464EEAD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Many thanks, this is most helpful.

Yes you are correct the Reports do have a source record but the Charts
do
not even though the query on which they are based still exists.

The reason I was renaming tables is that I built the database using
the
Dec
07 members list I received. I received an update in Feb 08 and created
a
new
table. Although I could easily establish who the new members were from
the
DateJoined field I used the "Unmatched Query Wizard" to find the
members
that
were not in the list as there is no MembersRemoved field in the lists
I am
sent (I have asked for this data but as yet I am not being sent it)

Now I have gone back to the first table I created and have created a
new
query as you suggested and presumably I simply produce another copy
with
different criteria depending on whether I want a list of new members
or a
list of ex-members.

Now, how do I import the updated lists for Feb and Mar as there is no
MemberRemoved field? Even if I create such a field before I import it,
it
will be blank. If I import the data into the existing table I won't
know
if
any members have been removed from the later list

"Evi" wrote:

The reason your report's record source is blank is beccause the
table on
which they were based no longer exists. If you click next to
RecordSource
you can then choose a different table or query from the list on
which to
base your report. When you stop renaming your tables, this will no
longer
happen.
If you don't have to remove non-current members then it is even
easier -
no
need for an archive table.

You definitely *don't* need a different field for current members,
just
filter using your DateRemoved field or even a tickbox Yes/No field
if
you
need also need some other way to indicate someone has left.
Your unique membership number will ensure that you don't
accidentally
add
member twice.
I really don't understand why you have been renaming tables. Is it
because
you need to look back to who was your member on any one year? I can
see
why
that could be tricky if a member is suspended and then re-instated
but
there
will be a way of doing that if it is needed.

You will create a query based on your members table. It can have all
the
same fields if you wish. You could call it QryCurrentMembers
In the criteria line under Date Removed, type
Is Null

(for past members your criteria will be Is Not Null)

In Design View of your report, click next to Record Source and
choose
this
query instead of your Table.

Which are the queries you are unsure about creating? We can 'talk'
you
through them if we know what you don't already know.

Evi









"Pennington" <Pennington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:844AA98D-12B1-4D0A-A387-00E12A51AE49@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yes you are correct. Each member does have a unique membership
number
which I
make the primary key. There is also a field Date Joined but
unfortunately
the
new list I receive has new members but not suspended members who
may
return
or those who have resigned.

From your explanation I think it is what I am seeking but I am not
sure I
understand it completely. Could your solution mean I have one list
of
members
with a field for indicating "Date Removed" so that after importing
the
updated list into a new table I run a query that adds new members
to
the
members table and for members not found in the update it adds the
current
month/year in the Date Removed field. Some of those members that
do
not
appear in an updated list may simply be suspended because they
have
not
paid
and are reinstated once they have paid up to date so I need to
keep
their
details on record.

I don't think I need to archive the data as we have only 1300
members
in
the
branch and we don't expect it to go beyond 10,000.

In a Report that I have created using the wizard the record source
field
is
blank and when I have added a different source record from the one
on
which
it was created I find it does not work. Why is this?

I do need help writing these queries as I am not an expert in
Access,
just
a
guy who volunteered to do the job as I have some experience in
using
it.

"Evi" wrote:

I'm guessing that when you receive your list, you don't know if
the
members
in your current table are also in the new list.
If you do have a way of identifying members (other than name and
Date of
birth, which is never 100% reliable) like a unique membership
number, we
can
help you to make a query which sets a CurrentMember tickbox to
True
if
the
member appears in your new list and all the other members in
your
Current
Table to False.
If you need to Archive your old records (because there are loads
of
names),
you can use an Append query to add all the 'False member's to an
archive
table which will have a Year field so that you know which year
they
were
members. The False members will be deleted from your main table
using a
simple delete query.
The Archive Table is created by copy/pasting your current table
(without
the
data).
Add a Year field to both tables to contain the year number.

This method means that you have the option to retrieve a member
from
the
Archive table and append him back if you still want his data and
even
use a
Union Query to unite the Archive and normal table so that you
can
view
eg a
membership history of your charity.

You can now use your table without any name changes for reports
and
queries.
You can also copy and pasted of some of your reports and
queries,
changing
their name to eg QryArchiveMembers, RptArchivePayments adjusting
the
table
in the query grid to your Archive table and adjusting the Record
Source
of
the reports to point to these 'Archive' queries

The only alteration you will need to do to reports is to add a
Year
field
and group them by that.
Evi



"Pennington" <Pennington@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message
news:4CB0F97B-1E54-4378-BF79-B00287587F20@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have created a membership database for our local branch of a
charity
and
designed various queries and reports to analyze particular
trends.
The
source
table I called Members Jan 08 but I receive updates every
quarter
and
when
I
import the new membership list naming it Members Mar 08 and
change
references
to Jan 08 to Mar 08 in the queries and reports several of them
fail to
work.
I have had to recreate the queries and reports all over again.

I don't want to have to do this every quarter so is there an
easier
way of
doing this like running a find/replace query?












.

Loading