Required Field based on date

[GeminiG]

Hi All,
I'm trying to make a field required based on another date field on a new order form. I just had to add a new field to my database but I can't make it required for dates before 1/1/16 otherwise my forms will throw a bunch of errors when a user goes back to older records. In the VBA or expression builder I'd want something like :

tblOrders.Justified (If tblOrders.OrderDate >= 1/1/2016 then field required else not required
Is that possible? Is there an other/easier way?

Many thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Joe4]

Welcome to the Board!

Why not just add the field, use an Update Query to populate all the old/current records with some value, then make it required?
Then all old records will have a value and all future records will require a value.

 

[xenou]

After the backfill instead of "required" you can use validation instead, such as greater than Jan 1, 2016. That will prevent your users from entering a "dummy" date if they figure out that the required field will still allow dates like Jan 1, 1970 (which would probably defeat the purpose of the field being required).

For the most fluid user experience, you can put validation in the form and not just at the database level, which allows you to have better validation messaging at the time of data entry.

 

[GeminiG]

Ok great thank you both for the help!

 

[Joe4]

You are most welcome!