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

I've had queries go belly up because every field was 255, but that was
in 97.  This is one of those issues that has caused a great deal of
"discussion" in the list, so you can check the archives to see the
arguments pro and con.  If you design a field to hold a specific value
size, then your controls will limit the value for you with less work by
the programmer.  If you allow them to enter 255 characters into a field
that is only supposed to contain a social security number, then you have
to do extra programming to make sure that all you get is a social
security number.  I suppose my objection to making them all maximum
length is that it's sloppy programming and suggests that you haven't
really thought out the design of the table.

Charlotte Foust


-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of William
Hindman
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 8:18 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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