Table Field data type Best practices

[gheyman]

I have a field in a table (table1) where I want to limit the users choices. I have a second table (table2) that has a field with those choices.

The Users will always being entering data via a form - never directly into the table (the db's are Split).

Is it better to make the field in the table1 a text field and limit the users choices on the form. Or is it better to make the field in Table1 a List/Combo Box?

 

[ranman256]

FORM. Much easier to change if conditions change.

 

[Micron]

I must be interpreting the question differently. Then again, I'm easily confused . On one hand you say users will always be using a form to enter data, and on the other, you mention having the combo box in a table.

If you use a form and combo it's easy to limit the choices based on the list, but you have to set the 'limit to list' property to yes otherwise users can either alter the bound value to something not in the list, or the list itself if the underlying query is updatable. I wouldn't complicate things by using a listbox unless maybe there's too many rows in the combo to comfortably search through.