How to Decide on a List Type for a Microsoft Access Table Field

You can use two list types in a MS Access table field. A Value list contains values that you create. A Lookup list contains values that you take from another table or query. Your choice depends upon the values that you want to add. These instructions apply to MS Access 97.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Microsoft Access

1. Select a Values list when you want to enter your own predefined values. This works best when the values do not change very often and there is no need for you to store them in a table. For example, you could use a Values list in a Salutation column and enter predefined values such as "Mr.", "Miss", "Mrs.", "Ms", and "Dr."

2. Select a Lookup list if another table or query contains the values you want to add. For example, you might have an address table containing contact information for all of your employees. A second table might contain information about employees who have earned sales commissions this month. By inserting a Lookup list in the Sales Commission table made up of employee names from the Address table, you could enter the name of the employee to be paid commission by clicking on the correct entry in the list. And when employees are added or deleted, the list will change automatically to reflect the current state of the Address table.

Tips & Warnings

• When you use a list in a field, the user sees a list of choices. He or she clicks a choice to place it in the field automatically. The user doesn't type in the information.
• List field definitions appear in any form (an interface you create to simplify data entry) that is subsequently created with the field. But your field changes do not show in forms that are already created.
• To add a Values list to a table, see "How to Automatically Add Predefined Values to a Microsoft Access Table Field" in the related eHows. To add a Lookup list, see "How To Look Up Values from One Microsoft Access Table and Automatically Insert Them in Another Table."

on 11/22/2005 When creating tables that have related fields of the same type, first open the table which contains the identical field. In design view, highlight the field then copy and paste it into your new table. This will ensure data integrity rules are the same.