tables relating to queries

[dbh139]

I am rather new to access so excuse me if my terms are not exact.

I created all of my field names ahead of time when i created my tables. I set up relationships with these tables directly after this. Now I am trying to run queries that will put data into these fields that I left blank for calculations. I am able to create a query that works and reports this data, however it does not automatically go back into the fields in the tables I originally set up. Am I supposed to just put my inputs into the tables and have queries calculate everything else? Then just use reports and forms to display all the data in the same place? Is there a way to show this data in the tables from the query? I hope someone can help.

 

[Seti]

Have you looked at the "Update Queries"? If not, when you are in design mode and are creating a query, click on the Query menu item and select "Update Query". This will allow you to add data to your table via the query.

 

[Corticus]

Hi dbh139,

Sounds like you might be an Excel user!

In Access, tables only hold static values, not calculations (usually).

You want the tables to hold all of the data on which you intend to perform calculations. You will use queries to make these calculations.

Say you have a table, Tbl1, with 2 fields, Field1 and Field2, and you want to sum up these two numbers.

You would make a query, drag over Tbl1, insert fields 1 and 2, and then create a new field in the query like:
sumfield: [field1] + [field2]
You can replace sumfield with whatever you want the name of the calculatied field to be.

Now when you view this query in datasheet view, you can change the values for fields 1 and 2 sumfield will display their sum. Any changes you make to field1 and field2 will be reflected in tbl1.

edit: It sounds like you've got the right idea. If you need to keep these calculations as a log, like for reciepts (say the price of an item is variable, so the same calculation will yield different results), then you could create an append query that adds a record to a table with the calculated field in it.

HTH,