Before MS makes programs try to think for us, ...

[Steve Jorgensen]

they should make sure they think well enought shouldn't they make them think
well enough to do more harm than good?

Examples:
I have a table with 4 fields, an Autonumber key, 2 foreign keys, and a single
character flag. I'm in datasheet view, and I type the ID of the related
record for column 2 (happens to be 1), then I type the ID of the related
record for column 2 (happens to be 2), then hit tab, and get an error because
3 is not a value allowed by the validation rule for my text field. That's
right, because I types 2 numbers in sequence, Access thinks it should help me
out by entering 3 into the next field even though it is a completely different
data type. Now, get this, on the next rowm I type 1, Tab, 3, Tab, and it
tries to put in a 5!

Microsoft, I hate to tell you this, but a table is not a spreadsheet, and
automatically entering data the user didn't type based on an assumption that
may or may not be true could generate invisible, erroneous data with severe
consequences. If there are more than 2 columns in order in a table row with
similar enough meaning that a sequence of values would be a meaningful type of
data entry, then the database is not even properly normalized, so we now have
a "feature" that's only useful if you're using Access incorrectly.

Here's another example: If I'm in datasheet view, entering data into a column,
and I enter 1, down arrow, 2, down arrow, I get a new dirty record with a 3 in
it. If I'm not paying attention, that new row will get saved even though I
never even intended to add a 3rd new row! I have to explicitly Undo or delete
the new record Access has so generously added for me if I don't want it.
Furthermore, I cannot find anywhere to turn this obnoxious behavior off.

Fortunately, this "feature" seems not to affect forms unless they are in
datasheet view, though my apps sometimes do use that.

Sorry - just had to vent.

[Steve Jorgensen]

On Mon, 05 Jan 2004 06:20:01 GMT, Steve Jorgensen <no****@nospam.nospam>
wrote:

they should make sure they think well enought shouldn't they make them think
well enough to do more harm than good?

( uh, well, the grammar checker would have been a help, though <g> )

[Tony Toews]

Steve Jorgensen <no****@nospam.nospam> wrote:

I have a table with 4 fields, an Autonumber key, 2 foreign keys, and a single
character flag. I'm in datasheet view, and I type the ID of the related
record for column 2 (happens to be 1), then I type the ID of the related
record for column 2 (happens to be 2), then hit tab, and get an error because
3 is not a value allowed by the validation rule for my text field. That's
right, because I types 2 numbers in sequence, Access thinks it should help me
out by entering 3 into the next field even though it is a completely different
data type. Now, get this, on the next rowm I type 1, Tab, 3, Tab, and it
tries to put in a 5!

Yeah, this "feature" is real, real dumb. Worse there;s no way to turn it off. I
can't recall now if this is off in A2003.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Please respond only in the newsgroups so that others can
read the entire thread of messages.
Microsoft Access Links, Hints, Tips & Accounting Systems at
http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm

[Jerry Boone]

Right on Steve,

My favorite place to unload is to the source...

http://office.microsoft.com/assistan...FX010857910000

--
Jerry Boone
Analytical Technologies, Inc.
http://www.antech.biz
Secure Hosting and Development Solutions for ASP, ASP.NET, SQL Server, and
Access
"Steve Jorgensen" <no****@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
news:72********************************@4ax.com...

they should make sure they think well enought shouldn't they make them think well enough to do more harm than good?

Examples:
I have a table with 4 fields, an Autonumber key, 2 foreign keys, and a single character flag. I'm in datasheet view, and I type the ID of the related
record for column 2 (happens to be 1), then I type the ID of the related
record for column 2 (happens to be 2), then hit tab, and get an error because 3 is not a value allowed by the validation rule for my text field. That's
right, because I types 2 numbers in sequence, Access thinks it should help me out by entering 3 into the next field even though it is a completely different data type. Now, get this, on the next rowm I type 1, Tab, 3, Tab, and it
tries to put in a 5!

Microsoft, I hate to tell you this, but a table is not a spreadsheet, and
automatically entering data the user didn't type based on an assumption that may or may not be true could generate invisible, erroneous data with severe consequences. If there are more than 2 columns in order in a table row with similar enough meaning that a sequence of values would be a meaningful type of data entry, then the database is not even properly normalized, so we now have a "feature" that's only useful if you're using Access incorrectly.

Here's another example: If I'm in datasheet view, entering data into a column, and I enter 1, down arrow, 2, down arrow, I get a new dirty record with a 3 in it. If I'm not paying attention, that new row will get saved even though I never even intended to add a 3rd new row! I have to explicitly Undo or delete the new record Access has so generously added for me if I don't want it.
Furthermore, I cannot find anywhere to turn this obnoxious behavior off.

Fortunately, this "feature" seems not to affect forms unless they are in
datasheet view, though my apps sometimes do use that.

Sorry - just had to vent.