Stupid pill when using a database....

[Coytee]

Just so no one else does what I just did...

I've been putting together a database of CPA's. I'm going to put a seminar on for them in January so they can get some CPE credits and.... (?)

During this, I've been putting "John Doe, CPA" and on their address (sometimes) "123 Main St., Suite 100"

I've been creating this in Excel simply because it's easy for me....until I had my stupid moment.

Don't ever create a large database, then export it to something like Access and expect it to import properly.....

Seems when you use a comma in "John Doe, CPA" and then you use a comma delimited transfer, those extra commas really screw things up in the data transfer!!

Took me a while to figure out why I kept getting all these errors and mis-aligned data columns...[:$]

[BLSamuel]

Well, Duh!

Sorry Richard I couldn't resist. I pretend to be a big iron (mainframe - just call me mainframasauras rex) DBA and use Exel quite a bit but more to import data from the big iron into to be easier for myself and other team members to read. And I'm sure I've done the same thing.... but not sure I'd admit it publicly.

I import more from text files into Exel and often use fixed width for what I'm doing though I think my team has updated a lot of our Exel imports to use delimited importing.

[TNRabbit]

You pretty much have to do a first, middl, last name column to make that work out right.....

[Coytee]

You pretty much have to do a first, middl, last name column to make that work out right.....

Agreed, but what I'm doing in this (simple) case is using the name of the "firm", which is usually "John Doe, CPA". Then I'm making another field for my salutation.

I just coudln't help but laugh at myself (which is why I posted this) when I figured out what the problem was.

[InnerTuber]

Coytee

I think you can select import direct from Excel rather than a delimited format

Also, I find it often works best to import from Excel into a blank table and then join the table with other existing data if required. You can then rename the joined table if need be.

Best O Luck

[colterphoto1]

I put each part of the name in a separate field, that way if you want to do a mail merge you've got fname, lname, surname, title, etc all available separately.

[Coytee]

then join the table with other existing data if required

You've already doubled (wanted to say "infinitied" [] ) my knowledge of Access.....

Other than VERY basic, rudimentary uses..... I'm very ignorant of how to use it and especially, use it intelligently!

[InnerTuber]

Yeah it's a little confusing to discuss, but give it a shot

Just get your data you want in excel and import that into a new table. That might be all you need.

I use outlook contact list to maintain all our vendors at work and import the entire mess from outlook into a table.

Joining two tables is basically a query you can do with the wizard.

Charge in there and you will do no wrong, until you start deleting things!

ChAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARgeeeeeeeeeeee

[seti]

I finally broke my co-workers of doing this. To fix there files I just import to FileMaker Pro and use first word, middle word, and last word formulas to break them out and into new fields. It only took a little while but they don't do it anymore.