[AccessD] Why Change Field Size/was Change Field Size

That was a heated topic a while back.  I do what you do, set all text fields
to 255.  In fact, I set the default in Access to 255.

I believe the argument on the other side, was two fold, if I remember
correctly.  I believe the first issue was allowing Jet/Access to restrict
fields that shouldn't be larger then x number of characters. (State
abbreviations, SS#'s, etc.).  The second was to prevent going over the page
size/max record size.

I still use 255 as my limits.  I do data checks with my interface, and if
your table structure is properly normalized, you shouldn't run into the max
record size.

Drew

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	William Hindman [SMTP:wdhindman at bellsouth.net]
	Sent:	Monday, December 05, 2005 10:18 AM
	To:	Access Developers discussion and problem solving
	Subject:	[AccessD] Why Change Field Size/was Change Field
Size

	....the original post raised a question for me

	...my practice has been to default to 255 unless there was a
specific need 
	to define a smaller one, since with Jet, afaik, you pay no penalty
for doing 
	so ...and thus avoid having to do most future field size changes.

	...is there any problem with this or am I missing something?

	William

	----- Original Message ----- 
	From: "Martin" <mwp.reid at qub.ac.uk>
	To: <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
	Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 9:00 AM
	Subject: Re: [AccessD] Change Field Size


	> Rocky
	>
	> Dim strSql As String
	> strSql = "ALTER TABLE MyTable ALTER COLUMN MyField TEXT(33);"
	> DBEngine(0)(0).Execute strSql, dbFailOnError
	>
	>
	>
	>    From: "Rocky Smolin - Beach Access Software"<bchacc at san.rr.com>
	>    Sent: 05/12/05 13:43:38
	>    To: "Access Developers discussion and problem 
	> solving"<accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
	>    Subject: Re: [AccessD] Change Field Size
	>
	>    Martin:
	>
	>    I can't find any references to Alter.  It's VBA, yes?
	>
	>    Rocky
	>
	>    ----- Original Message ----- 
	>    From: "Martin" <mwp.reid at qub.ac.uk>
	>    To: <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
	>    Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 10:11 AM
	>    Subject: Re: [AccessD] Change Field Size
	>
	>
	>    > Rocky
	>    >
	>    > You may have to use an Alter statement  also note below from
web.
	>    >
	>    >
	>    > Using DAO, you have to CreateField() of the new size, execute
an 
	> UPDATE
	>    > query to populate it, and then remove the old field.
	>    >
	>    > Martin
	>    >
	>    >
	>    > -----Original Message-----
	>    >    From: "Rocky Smolin - Beach Access
Software"<bchacc at san.rr.com>
	>    >    Sent: 04/12/05 17:44:36
	>    >    To:
"AccessD at databaseadvisors.com"<AccessD at databaseadvisors.com>
	>    >    Subject: [AccessD] Change Field Size
	>    >      Dear List:
	>    >
	>    >    Close, but no cigar.
	>    >
	>    >    I need to change the length of a field through code.  I've
got:
	>    >
	>    >    Set wrk = DBEngine.Workspaces(0)
	>    >    Set db = wrk.OpenDatabase(gstrDatabaseName)
	>    >    Set tdf = db.TableDefs("tblPODetail")
	>    >
	>    >
	>    >        Set fld = tdf.Fields("fldPODPartDescription")
	>    >        fld.Properties("AllowZeroLength") = True
	>    >        fld.Properties("FieldSize") = 255
	>    >        tdf.Fields.Append fld
	>    >
	>    >    Set fld = Nothing
	>    >    Set tdf = Nothing
	>    >    Set db = Nothing
	>    >    Set wrk = Nothing
	>    >
	>    >    but fld.Properties("FieldSize") = 255  errors with
"property can 
	> only
	>    > be set when the Field is part of a Recordset object's field 
	> collection.
	>    >
	>    >    What am I doing wrong?
	>    >
	>    >    MTIA,
	>    >
	>    >    Rocky Smolin
	>    >    Beach Access Software
	>    >    http://www.e-z-mrp.com
	>    >    858-259-4334
	>    >    -- 
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