Search Form using Option Buttons

[NMarks]

Hello all,

I have created a database for my work that stores information for keys/locks, doors and employees.

Specifically the database contains all the information of our lock system, which doors certain locks are attached to and what employees have keys to certain locks.

The form has 3 subforms, 1 is the Key List which is basically the master subform as the other 2 subforms are a Door List and Staff List both of which are linked to the Key List using the [KeyNumber] field.

I am trying to make a search form to this that will allow me to search certain fields in all 3 of the subforms, the fields will be chosen by option buttons. With the search box being just a simple AfterUpdate command.

This is the code I currently have ...

Private Sub SearchFor_AfterUpdate()
On Error GoTo Err_SearchFor_AfterUpdate
    Dim MySQL As String
    
    MySQL = "SELECT KeyNumber, KeyCode, KeyName "
    MySQL = MySQL & "FROM fKeyList "
    
    If InStr(1, Me.SearchFor, Chr(34)) Then
        MsgBox "Do not use quotes"
    Else

        Select Case Me.SearchField
    
        Case 1  'keynumber
            MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyNumber] like " & Chr(34) & Me![SearchFor] & "" & Chr(34)
        Case 2  'keycode
            MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyCode] like " & Chr(34) & Me![SearchFor] & "" & Chr(34)
        Case 3  'keyname
            If Me.SearchFor.Value Like "*[!',!A-Z,!a-z]*" Then
                MsgBox "Must use letters or single apostrophe. No spaces or special characters"
            Else
                MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyName] like " & Chr(34) & Me![SearchFor] & "" & Chr(34)

            End If
        
        Case 4  'doornumber
            MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE (KeyNumber In (SELECT DISTINCT KeyNumber FROM sfDoorList WHERE DoorNumber LIKE " & Chr(34) & "" & Me![SearchFor] & "" & Chr(34) & "))"
        
        Case 5  'lastname
            If Me.SearchFor.Value Like "*[!',!A-Z,!a-z]*" Then
                MsgBox "Must use letters or single apostrophe. No spaces or special characters"
            Else
                MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE (KeyNumber In (SELECT DISTINCT KeyNumber FROM sfStaffList WHERE StaffLastName LIKE " & Chr(34) & "" & Me![SearchFor] & "" & Chr(34) & "))"

            End If
        End Select

    'MsgBox MySQL
    Me.sfKeyList.Form.RecordSource = MySQL
    End If
    
Exit_SearchFor_AfterUpdate:
    Exit Sub

Err_SearchFor_AfterUpdate:
    MsgBox Err.Description
    Resume Exit_SearchFor_AfterUpdate
    
End Sub

The problem is it's not working. I keep getting this error when searching for anything using any of the options ...

The record source 'SELECT KeyNumber, KeyCode, KeyName FROM fKeyList WHERE [KeyNumber] like "****" specified on
this form or report does not exist.

The **** indicates the item i'm searching for.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Stewart Ross]

...MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyNumber] like " & Chr(34) & Me![SearchFor] & "" & Chr(34)

Hi Nmarks. At a glance the SQL looks fine - but then I notice the use of Chr(34) before and after all search phrases as above. ASCII 34 is the double-quote character ("). I guess it should instead be the single quote. Why not just refer directly to the character involved, like this:
[code=sql]MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyNumber] like '" & Me![SearchFor] & "'"[/code]
For clarity I would suggest not using Chr at all in your search strings unless you want to refer to a non-printable character.

-Stewart
ps Access string literals within a string built as above are referred to within single quotes, although strings in general are referred to within double quotes.

[Stewart Ross]

Hi again. Notwithstanding my concerns about the quote marks, it isn't that. I have tried a skeleton version of your code in a new form using one of my own tables, but without the subforms. The SQL works without error on the recordsource of a main form.

After writing this I tried it successfully on a subform within a main form. Since everything seems to work, is sfKeyList a valid subform name? I too used

me.[subformname].form.recordsource = ...

and it worked fine for me.

-Stewart

[NMarks]

In order to get all the forms to display in a tabular format like I wanted, and linked together, I had to create the form, then the "main" subform labeled sfKeyList.

The 2 additional subforms are sfDoorList and sfStaffList which are both subforms of sfKeyList.

[NMarks]

...MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyNumber] like " & Chr(34) & Me![SearchFor] & "" & Chr(34)

Hi Nmarks. At a glance the SQL looks fine - but then I notice the use of Chr(34) before and after all search phrases as above. ASCII 34 is the double-quote character ("). I guess it should instead be the single quote. Why not just refer directly to the character involved, like this:
[code=sql]MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyNumber] like '" & Me![SearchFor] & "'"[/code]
For clarity I would suggest not using Chr at all in your search strings unless you want to refer to a non-printable character.

-Stewart
ps Access string literals within a string built as above are referred to within single quotes, although strings in general are referred to within double quotes.

I will have to edit this then.

The majority of my Access experience has been via Google and a guy I work with. He uses the Chr(34) a lot and I picked it up along the way.

Thank you for the advice.

[Stewart Ross]

I will have to edit this then.

The majority of my Access experience has been via Google and a guy I work with. He uses the Chr(34) a lot and I picked it up along the way.

Thank you for the advice.

Hi again. Just one more thought, since the SQL works fine for strings - it is a string you are comparing, isn't it? If the unique key number is a numeric value, not a string, the SQL 'where' condition will fail (there are no quote marks at all used when comparing numeric values, nor is the string comparison 'like' used). Long shot, though, given that your where clause seems well thought-out.

-Stewart

[NMarks]

Hi again. Just one more thought, since the SQL works fine for strings - it is a string you are comparing, isn't it? If the unique key number is a numeric value, not a string, the SQL 'where' condition will fail (there are no quote marks at all used when comparing numeric values, nor is the string comparison 'like' used). Long shot, though, given that your where clause seems well thought-out.

-Stewart

The unique Key Number field is a letter/numeric value. It contains 2 letters followed by 6 numbers manually entered by us, the user.

An example is "HB123456".

The KeyCode and DoorNumber fields are also setup the same way. Just less letters and numbers.

[NMarks]

Alright I finally got it.

This is the end result of my code ...

Private Sub SearchFor_AfterUpdate()
On Error GoTo Err_SearchFor_AfterUpdate
    Dim MySQL As String
    
    MySQL = "SELECT KeyNumber, KeyCode, KeyName "
    MySQL = MySQL & "FROM tKey "
    
    If InStr(1, Me.SearchFor) Then
        MsgBox "Do not use quotes"
    Else
 
        Select Case Me.SearchField
    
        Case 1  'keynumber
            MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyNumber] like '" & Me![SearchFor] & "'"
        Case 2  'keycode
            MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyCode] like '" & Me![SearchFor] & "'"
        Case 3  'keyname
            If Me.SearchFor.Value Like "*[!',!A-Z,!a-z]*" Then
                MsgBox "Must use letters or single apostrophe. No spaces or special characters"
            Else
                MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE [KeyName] like '" & Me![SearchFor] & "'"
 
            End If
        
        Case 4  'doornumber
            MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE (KeyNumber In (SELECT DISTINCT KeyNumber FROM tDoor WHERE DoorNumber LIKE " & Chr(34) & "" & Me![SearchFor] & "" & Chr(34) & "))"
        
        Case 5  'lastname
            If Me.SearchFor.Value Like "*[!',!A-Z,!a-z]*" Then
                MsgBox "Must use letters or single apostrophe. No spaces or special characters"
            Else
                MySQL = MySQL & "WHERE (KeyNumber In (SELECT DISTINCT KeyNumber FROM tStaff WHERE StaffLastName LIKE " & Chr(34) & "" & Me![SearchFor] & "" & Chr(34) & "))"
        End If
        End Select
 
    'MsgBox MySQL
    Me.sfKeyList.Form.RecordSource = MySQL
    End If
    
Exit_SearchFor_AfterUpdate:
    Exit Sub
 
Err_SearchFor_AfterUpdate:
    MsgBox Err.Description
    Resume Exit_SearchFor_AfterUpdate
    
End Sub

I replaced all the FROM fields to reference the tables directly as opposed the subforms on the form.

This worked like a charm. I did also clean up the code a bit as you advised, more so in the first section I still have to go through the bottom 2 sections that reference the other subforms, I tried once already but keep getting a syntax error so I just need to work it out a bit.

Thank you for all your help though it was greatly appreciated.

[Stewart Ross]

Hi again. Well done for solving what was a very puzzling problem. You did all the work, and should take all the credit!

Cheers

Stewart