Form - Multiple Records Questions 1

[toddl]

I am trying to create a database that will allow a user to select a person, and from there be able to enter in there bills for the month.

For example, a person comes in and submits there gas, food, and utility bill. The user will then select the persons name and then enter in the description and amounts for the bills. I have it set up using a form/sub-form. I am able to do one record, but I dont know how to do the rest.

It would look like this

NAME ADDRESS

Date - Description - Amount
### Gas 20.00
### Food 20.00

#### - Total 40.00

The problem is I don't know how many bills the person would have, and I don't know how to make the form work with more then one record.

Should I create button next to the bill, and when clicked it would append the record and form a new bill below the current one? Is there a way to do it without using a button next to each record?

I want to be able to have the user print this off from the form.

Thanks for any help,

Todd

 

[PHV]

Have a look at the Northwind database, the example database furnished with access.

Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ222-2244

 

[willir]

Todd

This is more of a design issue, then it becomes a form issue. Also, with titles such as Gas and Food, this looks more like an expense database than bill payments.

The Northwind database is pretty cool, and uses simple to complex strategies.

First, do some home work
Fundamentals of Relational Database Design
Down load document
Read on-line

Micro$oft's answers...
283878 - Description of the database normalization basics
304467 - ACC2000 Defining Relationships Between Tables in a Microsoft Access Database

Here is a basic "starter's kit"

tblContact
ContactID - primary key
ContactLN - last name
ContactFN - first name
Address - text
PhoneNo - text
eMailAddr - text

Discussion:
Simple contact table

tblExpenseType
ExpenseType - primary key, text, 8 to 15 characters
ExpenseName - text, description

Discussion:
Expense types would include GAS, FOOD, TOLLS, etc

tblExpense
ExpenseID - primary key
ContactID - foreign key to tblContact.ContactID
SubmissionDate - date
BusinessPurpose - text
AuthorizedByID - foreign key to tblContact.ContactID
ReEmbursedAmount - currency

Discussion:
A lot here - delete what you do not need.
ContactID links to Contact table
AuthorizedByID also links to the contact table, but to the person who authorizes re-embursement.
Business purpose - valid re-embursement per business needs
ReEmbursedAmount - When the contact is re-embursed, the re-embursement amount is entered here. For example, only partial re-embursement may occur.

tblExpenseDetail
ExpenseDetailID - primary key
ExpenseID - foreign key to tblExpense.ExpenseID
ExpenseType - text, foreign key to tblExpenseType.ExpenseType
ExpenseDate - date
ExpenseAmount - currency
Receipt - yes / no

Discussion:
Record details for expense.
ExpenseType is grabbed from the ExpenseType table for GAS, FOOD, etc.

Note that the ExpenseDetail table includes the ExpenseID. All related expenses will have the same ID number.

Richard