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

In hindsight, it would have been better. The only reason I can see to define 
a field as less than 255 is the automatic length checking built in to 
Access.  A text box bound to a field with a length of length 30 won't let 
you enter 31 characters.  Otherwise, at 255, if you want to restrict the 
field to a certain length, for report formatting or form display purposes, 
then you've got to do the checking yourself in the After Update event.

Rocky

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William Hindman" <wdhindman at bellsouth.net>
To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving" 
<accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 8:18 AM
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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