jiminy,
No, you don't need to put data in tables with the same structure. As you pointed out, that would defeat the purpose of an RDBMS in the first place.
Most likely, the message you're getting indicates that you've not joined the two tables together using example elements, for example, consider the following query (which should generate the same error):
Code:
Query
:WORK:CUSTOMER.DB | CustomerNo |
Check | |
:WORK:ORDERS.DB | CustomerNo |
Check | |
EndQuery
There are probably one or more fields with values common to both tables, e.g. one links ORDERS to CUSTOMERS by storing a CustomerNo field in both tables.
To run multi-table QBE queries, you indicate this common field using example elements, as shown in the following example:
Code:
Query
:WORK:CUSTOMER.DB | CustomerNo |
Check | _custno |
:WORK:ORDERS.DB | CustomerNo |
Check | _custno |
EndQuery
Once you do that, you should be able to run your query.
You can place example elements in one of two ways:
1. Click the Join Tables button (I believe that's the name of it, but I mi8ght be mistaken) and then click the two common fields. This places example elements named Join1, Join2, and so on.
2. Move focus to one of the common field, press
F5] and then type a single word name, e.g. custno. Repeat the same process for the second common field.
In both cases, you should see red labels appears in your query images. You need two such images to sucessfully join the tables.
If there's more than one field involved in the "commonality" of the data, e.g. you're linking on a three field key, then you'll need one example element for each set of fields.
Hope this helps...
-- Lance