Hello all,

I am a new user on Access, and have run into a jam with a requirement. I am bringing information in from another source and runing reports and queries. One of the requirements is to have a update table and a permanent table. When the information comes into the update table, it needs to be able to look at the permanent table and update any information that has changed or is different. This could be in the form of new data, or it could just be status changes in current data. It does not matter if the information that is the same for the records would have to be overwritten since it would be the same anyway. Does anyone have a good idea of how I might want to go about this. I appreciate any help on the subject, since I have hit a major road block. Thanks!!!

Welcome to UA Forums!

The first question to answer is how does your data relate? In other words, how do you know which new incoming record matches up to which existing record?

A table structure layout may be good, as well.

thank you for getting back to me so soon. the table data is going to be the exact same format as each other. it will basically be the same table as the permanent one, except that some of the records may have been updated so it needs to update on the permanent table after it has been imported. i don't know if this makes sense or not?

Let me ask my question a different way...

How do you know that the tenth record that you just imported in the new table has changed and that it relates to the 26th record in the original table? (Remember, there is no "order" to records in a database, except only what you define in a query.)

A relational database works by relating similar data based on primary and foreign keys.

thanks Walter,

I think that might be my problem. I really do not, I need to be able to set some way for the table that is imported to find the record it should be match information with, and then update if any of the data is different. I don't know if this is even possible. Thank you again for your help!

>>I need to be able to set some way for the table that is imported to find the record it should be match information with<<

If the data is different, how will you know what it matches to?

I think you probably need to start with the basics and post your structure as well as some of the data, and examples of how the data could be different. (As long as it is not confidential). I can also give you some great links about DBs, how to set them up, and best practices, if you like.

" I am bringing information in from another source "
how, using a text file perhaps

Does "the other source" use the same primary keys as your local tables