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From: Mickey on 17 May 2010 13:40
Hi,
I have some 20,000 entires populating a text filed that ideally should
be a combo box. I'm looking for the best way forwards with this and
wonder if there is any alternatives for what I need to do. The data in
the text field needs to be restricted to a small number of options, I'm
thinking that I need a combo box for this but then the original data
will be in a different field.

Is it possible to create a new combo box and then populate it with the
data from the text field retrospectively or is there some other way
forward for this problem?

I would be very grateful for any advice as i am new to Access and may
be barking up the wrong tree so to speak!

Regards,
Mickey

From: Arvin Meyer [MVP] on 17 May 2010 14:27
If the 20,000 entries are not unique, use a query like:

Select Distinct YourFieldName From YourTableName:

Add those into a new table. Now add an autonumber field and save the table.

Add a column to your original table of type Long Integer. Now in an Update
query, link (join) the original field from your old table to the same field
in the new table. Update the new column in the original table with the data
in the new autonumber field that you created in the new table. Change all
your forms to reflect the values from the new column. When you are satisfied
that everything is working, make a copy of your database and save it
somewhere, then delete the old column from your original table.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.accessmvp.com
http://www.mvps.org/access


"Mickey" <oik(a)me.com> wrote in message news:2010051718405583447-oik(a)mecom...
> Hi,
> I have some 20,000 entires populating a text filed that ideally should be
> a combo box. I'm looking for the best way forwards with this and wonder
> if there is any alternatives for what I need to do. The data in the text
> field needs to be restricted to a small number of options, I'm thinking
> that I need a combo box for this but then the original data will be in a
> different field.
>
> Is it possible to create a new combo box and then populate it with the
> data from the text field retrospectively or is there some other way
> forward for this problem?
>
> I would be very grateful for any advice as i am new to Access and may be
> barking up the wrong tree so to speak!
>
> Regards,
> Mickey
>


From: Mickey on 17 May 2010 15:22
Thanks Arvin,
I'll give that a go, appreciate your help.

Mickey

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