Forms using Queries/Filter?

[Brott]

Hello anyone!?!
My experience with MS Access has been somewhat limited and I know enough to get around and I know that this task is not difficult but I just can not figure it out. Even with my Access Bible. If I can just get one to work I will be able to hog wild with the new found knowledge.
I have a table with say 20 different fields. Unit, Item, Manufacturer, Model, Type, HP, Amps, RPM, ... & Comments
I have a form for data entry. Now some of those fields may end up having the exact same data in multiple records.
I would like to enable the user to query all records based on say the Unit. I may have a couple hundred records with the same Unit value.
However if the user wants to find all records under the Item column. The trick with this one is if someone has spelled any part of this incorrect they still need to be able to find all those records. Example there is an Item that is "Wellfield Pump #6" If someone at some point in time entered "Welfield Pump #6" (missing one of the L's). Is there a way to have it look it up with a wild card? Or would something like a drop down box work better.
Any help I can get is greatly appreciated.
Thank You,

 

[Ian Mac]

Something like a Combobox would be better.

I would have a seperate table with all of the items in it including an Autonumber as the Primary Key.

Item No / Item
1 / Wellfield Pump #6
2 / Wellfield Pump #5
3 / Wellfield Pump #4
Etc.

Go to the design view of the table you would like this to be in.

Select the field you need.
In the bottom of the window go to Lookup.

Change Textbox to Combobox
Row Source Type should now be Table/Query
In Row Source select the table with the item numbers in.

Bound Column 1
Column Count 2
Column widths 0;2 or bigger than 2 if you need it.

Go back to your table view and you will be able to select from a dropdown list.

When you desogn a Form based on the table the Combobox will be default for you data.

Hope that makes sense, and hope it works.

regards

 

[Brott]

I believe I did follow those instructions and the field I wanted to search by had a drop down box with all the possible options but the rest of the fields on the form did not change.
Are there any other suggestions that will help with my problem.
Thanks