In the course of a complex database structure, I need to provide the user with a means of editing data stored in a series of tables. Although all the data types are the same, they don't line up 1:1 in their names. To alleviate this, I created a query that maps the original names (which come from outside reports) to the internally-used names; from these queries, everything is fed into one giant UNION query.
All the data types and field sizes line up properly.
What else do I need to do to make this UNION query work?
This is the current SQL behind the query:
SELECT * FROM MappingQuery1 UNION SELECT * FROM MappingQuery2;
EDIT:
An answer below posted a link to a KB article that states with certainty that the data in a UNION
query can't be updated. Is there any way I can work around this? For example:
SELECT * FROM MappingQuery1, MappingQuery2;
Will this work? Remember, all the fields are aligned in type, size, and name.
When the query is a Union query, you
cannot update data in the query.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328828
When Access combines rows from different tables in a union query, the individual rows lose their underlying table identity. Access cannot know which table you mean to update when you try to change a row in a union query, so it disallows all updates.
Following question edit:
You could probably work around this using VBA and ADO to update the corresponding table. The way i'd approach this would be to ensure that your union table contains a column that has the id from the source table along with another column that names the source table.
e.g. in your union you'd have something like this:
SELECT 'Table1', id, ... FROM Table1
UNION
SELECT 'Table2', id, ... FROM Table2
Then through a data entry form and VBA you could look at the values of the currently selected row and update the relevant table.
EDIT 2: For onedaywhen
This inserts values into a table using Access VBA
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit
Public Sub InsertDataPunk(TargetTable As String, IdVal As Long, MyVal As String)
Dim conn As ADODB.Connection
Set conn = CurrentProject.Connection
Dim sql As String
'You could build something fancier here
sql = "INSERT INTO " & TargetTable & " VALUES (" & IdVal & ",'" & MyVal & "')"
Dim cmd As ADODB.Command
Set cmd = New ADODB.Command
Set cmd.ActiveConnection = conn
cmd.CommandText = sql
cmd.CommandType = adCmdText
cmd.Execute
End Sub
InsertDataPunk "Table2", 7, "DooDar"
My preference would be to consolidate those individual tables into a master table. With all the data in one table, this could be a whole lot easier.
However, assuming you have to keep the indiviual tables separate, change your mapping queries to include a field expression for the source table name. And include that table name field in the UNION query.
Then create a continuous form based on the read-only UNION query. Add a subform based on another query which returns a single editable record from the appropriate table. In the main form's On Current event, rewrite the RowSource for the subform's query:
strSQL = "SELECT fields_to_edit FROM " & Me.txtTableSource & _
" WHERE pkfield =" & Me.txtPKeyField & ";"
Me.SubformName.Rowsource = strSQL
Me.SubformName.Requery
This is a very old thread but I was looking for a solution to the same thing and came across it. I had a checkbox value that was pushed through several Union queries, and when I tried to update it, of course I couldn't.
However, I did find a solution and thought I'd share it. On the OnEnter event of the checkbox I simply ran an SQL Update query that updated the field in the underlying table that I wanted to modify. If it was True I updated to False, and if False I updated to true. Voila!