How to Use Cascading Updates or Cascading Deletes in Access 2003

If you have defined relationships between tables in an Access 2003 database, you can use cascading updates or cascading deletes to propagate changes across all the tables with that relationship. Once you have the cascade enabled, changes that you make to the primary table are carried through to all related tables.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Microsoft Access 2003
• Computer

1. Open the database in which you want to use cascading updates or cascading deletes.

2. Pull down the "Tools" menu. Scroll down to "Relationships" and right-click. This displays a schematic view of the database and the relationships between the tables. Tables that have a relationship are joined by black lines.

3. Rest your mouse pointer on the relationship in which you want to set cascading updates or cascading deletes. Right-click to pull up a list of options for that relationship and then select "Edit Relationship."

4. Check the "Enforce Referential Integrity" box. Now check both the "Cascade Update Related Fields" and "Cascade Delete Related Records" boxes.

5. Click on the "OK" button. When you make changes to one table in the relationship, the change will be propagated to the other tables in the relationship.

Tips & Warnings

• Close all tables in the database before you set cascading updates or cascading deletes.
• Cascade updates cannot be set for primary keys that use AutoNumber values. You also cannot update fields that came from a calculation.
• Save your database before you make significant changes. If you don't like the changes made to the database or any of the component tables, revert to the saved copy of the database.